Reign of the Dragons: Original Story
by The Godess Freya
Summary: FIRST! Anyone who reads this, this is not Reign of Fire. This is an original story that is a loose spin off of the movie, so it's the closest category I could get. Summary: Dragons have taken over the world, and makind may not be the same...
1. Chapter 1

**April 2, 2008**

_"This is Fox News at 11, and I'm Clark Deboneau. Today, a scientist by the name of William Harper has made a discovery that will change the entire universe." The screen flipped from the newscaster to a small blue egg, nestled in a laboratory. "This egg was found in the Amazon a week ago and brought back to the states for testing. Preliminary tests cannot tell what is in the egg; it seems to block every test we attempt. Dr. Harper believes this might be a egg, laid by what he claims to be dinosaurs." The screen panned back to the newscaster. "More tests will be run, but for now, only time will tell what secrets this egg holds."_

**May 14, 2008**

_"We, America, have made the discovery of a lifetime! The egg has hatched, and we have birthed the first dragon into the world! William Harper has named it Draco, "a fitting name for my own specimen". Draco seems to grow rapidly, and Harper claims it to be quite intelligent. Harper also has plans to breed the dragons and study them in natural habitat, and the government agrees. A 40,000 acre land has been purchased in Georgia, a relatively humid climate for Draco and his upcoming companions. This is Clark Deboneau, reporting for Fox News."_

**August 20, 2008**

_"Word is just in. Moscow has been completely demolished by the dragons. Next was Great Britain, and lastly, was Beijing, China. Over four million alone were killed in this last attack, making it the most horrific attack in history. Wait...we have a live feed coming in..." The newscaster was replaced with the president of the united states, sitting at his desk, his face somber. _

_"My fellow Americans, today is a day that we must live with our mistakes. I am declaring the evacuation of every major city. Immigrants from these cities will be reimbursed, but to contain the amount of casualties, marshal law will be declared until everyone is clear. We must band together in this time of war, and-" The screen went black and quickly the news station flipped back to the newscaster. He looked around at the people in the studio, trying to figure out why the news feed had gone dark. His face suddenly paled as he began to read the teleprompter, and his hands visibly shook._

_"My god...they...killed...what have we done?" He buried his face in his hands and with a sharp reprimand from the crew in front of him, Clark Deboneau lifted his head as tears shimmered in his eyes. "It is with great sorrow that I announce the attack on Washington. The President and Vice President have been killed. I repeat, the dragons have attacked Washington D.C. Similar reports say that Toronto, Chicago, and New York are also under attack. If you're still here, run. Run and hide, because they'll come for you. Run-" With that, the screen flickered, then went dark_

_**22 Years later**_

I held a pen in my mouth, writing down what came to me. My studies of the dragons had kept me alive all of these years, and the lives of my band continued on my understanding of the dragons around us.

"_The half-breeds are fascinating creatures. I have seen with my own eyes the proof that they can transform into humans. Even the purebloods have this capability, although I have not proven it yet. In the tales I hear, they take on perfect humans except for their eyes. Apparently, they shine a beautiful golden hue that is a distinct trait to purebloods. Half-breeds, on the other hand, have red eyes.' _

'_A few days ago I made contact with a half-breed. He was sympathetic towards humans and let me ask him many questions. Firstly, half-breeds are born and live as humans. If they are not told otherwise, they live as normal humans until their eighteenth birthday. On the very second, they are forced to transform into a dragon. After an uncertain amount of time-the time varies with each dragon-they can turn back into humans.'_

'_I have also noticed that the dragons have formed groups and even have a pecking order according to fighting ability, much like the old Spartan ways. Their bands seem to be close knit with fewer than twenty half-breeds. Of course, I have seen oddities such as a full-blood with a half-breed.'_

'_The dragons have also realized human potential, even the pure dragons. The pure dragons have enslaved most of the intelligent of every nation to do their bidding, whether it is by running power plants or living as servants to dragons who have settled down in one area. Most children are left alone, but once humans reach a certain age, the dragons will take them away."_

I ended my journal entry on that note and closed my book. I'd kept sporadic entries since the dragons had annihilated the U.S., but I was always on the lookout for more information. I may be seventeen, but I was no fool. I knew the power of information. I stretched and looked around the human compound. Many were sitting by the fire cooking the food we'd caught earlier today while some were cleaning their weapons. We had exactly eleven people in our group, or unit, as I liked to call us.

"Hey, Jessie! We found some ammo from the last village we passed. Come give this stuff out, will you?" I turned back to see my sister Julie sauntering over to me. Her short brown hair was pulled back by some sort of hair contraption, which I quirked an eyebrow at. When did she have time to pick that up? I hadn't seen it before. She tossed a bag of gun munitions in my lap and rolled her eyes at my journal. "I swear, that thing does no good. Why do you even write in it?"

"Oh shut up, Julie," I sighed out, putting my journal away and ignoring the long standing argument. I sifted through the ammunition and began the tedious job of sorting the stuff and then giving it away to the people who wielded the weapons. "Oh, 50 cal bullets…Hernando's going to be pleased."

I saw the sniper sleeping near the fire and I tossed the bullet pack at him. It hit him and he swatted his hand in front of him, clearly wanting to go back to sleep. Of course, being the asshole I was, I threw more bullet packs at him and he finally opened his eyes. His dark eyes brightened once he saw his present and I winked at him as I went back to work.

"I have your ammo in there too. I think it's near the bottom," Julie continued, sitting on the ground beside of me. She stretched, as if she didn't have a care in the world and then leaned back against a protruding tree trunk. "Wake me up when you're done." I grunted in response and she closed her eyes, ready to go back to sleep.

Once I was finished dishing out the ammo, I checked the maps we collected of North Carolina and double checked them against the other maps, triple checking the known dragon nest locations and where we were headed. However, I realized we were closer to the next town than I anticipated. I kicked Julie's leg and she lazily opened her brown eyes, which flashed annoyance to be woken so early into her nap.

"I checked the maps and we're nearer to Andrews than anything else. It seems a fairly decent size and we might be able to pick up some dried goods there, if it hasn't been looted already."

"It probably hasn't. We're in the middle of nowhere smack dab in the middle of the Smokey Mountains. Who would even consider coming out here to hide?" I rolled my eyes at the splitting image of myself in annoyance.

"We did, idiot." In response, she closed her eyes and smirked.

"Well, we're just using backwards logic. It gets them every time. We're just smart like that." I sighed. Sometimes I wished she were the smart one and I was the lazy one, but then again, I couldn't stand to be as idiotic as she acted.

"Regardless, we should stop and see if we can find food supplies."

"Didn't we just do that?" she asked, opening one eye.

"We barely had enough ammo to get us by last time. I'd rather have more than none at all. What if another dragon attacks?"

"We'll kick its-."

"Language. And please don't tell me you're serious." I muttered, putting in my hand on my forehead in exasperation. "Seriously Julie, you scare me sometimes. Let's just get the stupid ammo and heat some food up for once in a microwave."

"You're so addicted to technology," Julie muttered. I hit her and shook my head, my eyes smirking over at her.

"Oh shut up. I've seen you use a straightener last week when we stopped." She closed her eye as a light blush stained her cheeks. As much of a tomboy as she was, she really did care how she looked.

"Fine. We'll call it even." I shuffled over to a nearby tree and fluffed up a coat into a makeshift pillow. Dusk had already fallen, but we were mostly safe. We hadn't seen a dragon in quite some time since we arrived at the mountains. However, we posted a light guard around our camp, just in case.

*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*

I woke up to my sister's incessant poking. I swatted at her sleepily, deathly irritated on being awoken at the brink of dawn, but she was insistent and kept poking me until I finally opened my eyes. I swore at her under my breath and took a look around at the campsite. The others were slowly walking around, almost relishing in the fact that we could wake up slowly without any dragon attacks. It was certainly a change from the lowlands. There we had lived in constant fear as our group began to steadily dwindle from the dragon raids.

Shaking off the sobering thoughts of the past, I stretched, my muscles flexing fluidly under my skin, causing Julie to smirk.

"And you say that you're not ripped," she muttered. I glared at her.

"I'm not ripped, I'm _toned_." Julie rolled her eyes and began to sheath her weapons, and holstering the rest of the guns. I followed suit, strapping my belt to my waist and placing my knives in various places on my body. One of the new girls, Elizabeth - though we all called her Liz - watched us with fascination. Julie, who always tended to be bothered by this, snapped first.

"What?"

"You seem very familiar with your weapons," Liz replied, totally unfazed by Julie's barking question. She was the newest girl we had picked up, and she was damn lucky she had survived until she met us.

"Of course," Julie retorted.

"We actually didn't know how to use these before," I told the woman. She was used to being pampered and spoiled, living in a house with her father before he had been taken. Now she was thrust into the outdoors, which she was learning to like, with virtually no wilderness awareness. I mean, she had about to eat poisonous berries when we met her! "When the dragons first attacked, my dad bought us weapons and began a lesson with our family on how to use them." And these skills I would pass to the new girl, and she to others. It was the way humanity survived and thrived now. A pity.

"Really? Where is your dad now?" Julie's eyes narrowed at the woman and Liz winced, sensing she'd struck a nerve. Julie, however, whirled around and began helping the others get ready for the trek ahead, leaving me alone to explain in the wake of her anger.

"He was killed." I held up my hand as apology swamped her features. "Don't apologize. He was a good man and he died trying to protect his family. My mother was helping him and she died also. My brother…well…he was caught as the dragons torched our house."

"That's why you hate them? The dragons, I mean." I smiled at Liz.

"I don't hate them." Liz's eyes widened in disbelief. "I was a naturally born scientist. I don't really react to things like normal people would. I understand why my parents died and I respect them enough to move on. I know they would want me to be happy. Besides, look at Julie. She's got all the hatred I don't." I pointed backwards, knowing Julie was fuming. Liz halfway smiled. "Don't worry. She's all bark and no bite. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm going to kill the dragon that killed my family, but I don't hate the entire species just because of my parents. I actually find them fascinating." My face brightened.

"You're weird." I nearly fell to the ground at her statement but resisted the urge. The girl was definitely not the most diplomatic, but it was refreshing to have someone so innocent and blunt. I could respect that, even if I couldn't allow her to be innocent for long. Eventually she would have to kill to survive.

"Yeah, I hear that a lot," I sighed. "Regardless of my oddness, don't hesitate to ask if you don't understand or if you need something. That's what I'm here for!" I added with a slight smirk. I turned to see the rest of our group all packed and ready for the trip. I helped Liz up and placed her own pack on her back. Julie made a circle in the air with her finger, the army sign to move out. We responded in kind and followed Julie, as Liz and I brought up the rear like usual.

"Where are we headed?" Liz asked.

"There's a town not far from here called Andrews. We'll stop by and see what they have in town."

"What do we need to look for?"

"Whatever we deem essential. That's why you see varying pack sizes in the group. We carry what we want and deem appropriate. I guess it's a small measure of independence or individuality." Liz gave me a weird look and I smiled at her. "I told you, I'm an anthropologist at heart. Well, borderline psychologist. Or maybe a zoologist. I dunno." Liz just sighed and shook out her long blond hair.

"What should I look for in town?"

"Well, you need to choose a weapon to practice with. I would at least try to master a handgun, if nothing else."

"Don't the dragons have impenetrable scales?" I smiled at her immediate assumption. Most of the humans had thought that when the dragons first started their attacks, but it wasn't true.

"The first thing you need to realize is that you can't rely on our-of-proportion legends. Their scales aren't impenetrable, just difficult to get through. Though that isn't correct, the legends are true in the fact that the underbelly is the weakest part of the dragon. That's why Julie carries a katana. I do know how to wield a short sword, but I like my guns better. I can shoot for the eyes."

"But don't legends always start with a grain of truth?" I smiled brightly at the woman.

"Good observation. Yes, they do. Older civilizations probably encountered dragons once before and their tales spread through the world. They were formed differently and added on by different cultures, or even mixed together. This is why you see different types of dragons in the legends. However, the dragons now seem to be a mix of what seems like Welsh and maybe typical English style dragons."

"Why does it matter?" Liz asked.

"It probably doesn't." Liz sighed and hung her head, knowing she shouldn't have asked the obvious question. "Well, it's what I get for getting all of the brains in the family."

"If you're the smart one, and Julie's the athletic one, then what was your brother?" I laughed out loud.

"That dude could pick up the most girls out of any guy I'd ever seen." Liz laughed along with me, the mood lightened. She arranged her pack again before turning back to me.

"What about town?"

"Tell you what. You just stick with me when we reach Andrews. I'll show you what I believe are the basics of survival."

"Which are?"

"Chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate." Liz laughed at my pitiful joke as she turned back to face our group again. "And then for Julie, the straightener. Ask her about that when we stop. She'll get a kick out of it. Oh, I do have to get the paper."

"What? Like newspaper? They're all outdated."

"All the more reason to torch them for our fire."

"You know, I'm starting to think that you're a pyromaniac."

"I've been called that too," I sighed. "Julie's the worst though. She's addicted to trying to make her own version of a flamethrower. Don't go near her when she goes for the hair spray."

"Why hair spray?"

"Because it causes Julie to go pyro-crazy. She's nearly blown her hand off more than a couple of times." Liz laughed.

"I think I made the right decision coming with this group."


	2. Chapter 2

Amenable small talk had caused the time to fly by, and I had to say I was glad it was Liz who I was with. I was forced to reconsider my earlier opinion of her; she just seemed lost and confused to live out in hiding instead of spoiled and snobbish. She was generally a shy, quiet person, but when she was taken out of her shell, she could talk my ear off.

As we crested the side of the hill, I heard a whistle and lifted my head slightly to try to see the sun. Strangely, nearly the whole day had passed and I hadn't seemed to notice. This new girl had been enlightening, and she was interested in dragons as a rule. That in itself had caused the day to fly by, as well as her accounts of living in a house.

Liz stopped and looked up, her instinct telling her the whistle meant a dragon, but I lightly grabbed her arm and pulled her forward.

"Come on. Julie's going to give us the rundown since you're new here."

"Rundown?" Liz echoed.

"Rules," I amended as we entered the gathering circle around Julie. As soon as we had gathered she began her prepared speech.

"Now, let's go over the ground rules, since we have a new person in our group. _Number one: Travel in pairs. Number two: don't make any unnecessary actions such as starting a fireplace in a pizza parlor_." Hernando tactically looked away to the sky as Julie's death glare landed on him. That had been the fiasco at the last city, and Julie was still sore over his lack of judgment. "_Number three: Eat indoors. _The dragons have acute smell. They're bound to find us if we parade our presence. _Number four: If you're going to shower, buy stuff that isn't scented_." Liz stiffened, no doubt used to the stuff. "Again, look to rule number three for why we can't. _Number five: No loud noises such as explosions of any type_." This time, it was my turn to look away as Hernando snickered beside me. That had been some time ago, and it wasn't my fault that the elements had reacted so violently.

"Did all of you really do this stuff?" Liz asked quietly. Both Hernando and I nodded, mischievous smiles appearing on both of our faces.

"Now, split up. We'll meet back here at seven. Don't be late." With that, everyone broke into their little groups. Hernando and Julie went together and Liz and I paired up.

"Now we're going to the weapons shop first," I said, walking away from the departing group. Liz ran to my side, expectantly looking up at me. "We'll get you a handgun and some ammo, then we'll get the rest of our things. Now, I'll have to explain some procedure for you. It'll get boring, but pay close attention. This is your life at stake. A dragon attack is inevitable with anyone you travel with. Now, as far as dragons go, they hunt in packs."

"Like wolves?"

"Kinda. They'll judge us before they attack and go for the strongest out of the group, which would probably be Julie or Hernando."

"But what about you?"

"Do I look particularly vicious?" Liz laughed and shook her head. "Exactly. I get to slide by on not being gunned for first. After the dragons take out the lead people, they'll look at the rest of the group. Some may be captured but the rest will be killed."

"Why?"

"They could be potential threats. Now, explaining that, what you need to understand is that if you see a dragon flying overhead, it probably hasn't noticed you. Don't scream or panic, just find a place to hide. Remember, one dragon never travels alone unless it's in exile. But never expect a dragon to be alone. I can't stress that enough. The dragon you saw was probably playing decoy to lure humans out of hiding."

"They'll do that?" she gasped in surprise. I nodded my head.

"They're highly intelligent." I spotted the weapons shop close to us and went inside, Liz following close behind. I leapt over the counter and scanned underneath to find the security wire. I traced it back to the source as Liz watched in a sort of morbid fascination. I reached into the pouch at my side and pulled a few tools out and began working. Once I was done, the security alarm was reprogrammed to work, but not go off.

"Why is the light still on?" Liz asked as I stood up, shoving the tools into my army pouch again. I had picked it up a few towns ago and the thing was pretty handy, although I didn't carry any grenades with me…yet.

"Because I found out the hard way that places are monitored from a distance," I said, breaking the glass over some of the guns. "My guess is that the dragons put some of the captured humans on computers to watch and see if any alarms or any electrical change is made in towns. Which reminds me, don't turn on any lights anywhere. Use a flashlight."

"But why would they would they care about electrical changes?"

"Because it means humans are around." She stiffened as she realized that fact.

"They really are smart, aren't they?" I nodded once before motioning her over to the case.

"Pick one. These are basic stuff. They're not automatic or anything, but you have to cock it to initially fire." She blankly stared at me. "You have no idea what I just said, do you?" As she shook her head, I sighed. Green as grass, I tell you. "Choose one first." She looked through and chose a beautiful silver gun with an inlaid ivory handle. The ivory was adorned with roses, which I guess suited Liz. "Now for a quick gun lesson. Come into the back. They should have a shooting range there." I led the girl to the back, grabbing a climber's light from my backpack. You know those lights attached to a headband? Yeah. Those things enabled me to free up my hands, although I looked a whole new class of dork in the process.

"Now what?" I took the gun from her and was surprised to find it fully loaded. Now if that didn't violate the gun laws…

"Here." I gave the gun back to her. "Now, this thing on the side here is called the safety. The gun won't fire with the safety on, like it is now. Regardless, don't pretend to shoot people with it on, either. The safety has been known to fail before." I clicked the safety off. "Now hold the gun in your right hand and hold it shoulder high." I stood behind her and propped her so I could help support the gun's recoil. "Put your left hand over your right," I said, and Liz complied. "Now hold the gun steady. Line up the bar on the end of the gun with the two bars in front. That means you'll shoot straight. Now fire." Liz took aim at the target and fired a few seconds later.

"Wow," she breathed as she saw where her shot went.

"Not bad," I complimented. It was about six inches off of the center, but it was pretty good for her first try. "We don't have much more time here, but I promise I'll work with you later. Come on, I need to get a few weapons myself." I lead her out of the room and put away my light. The light coming in from outside illuminated the store, but it was fading. "Now let's see…" I trailed off as I grabbed a few silencers for my guns and spotted a gun near the front of the store. "Ooooh. I like it." I grabbed the camouflaged shotgun as well as all the ammo the store carried for that gun. I dropped the pack off of my back and stuffed my new found treasure into the top and I strapped the shotgun to the side of the pack. "Now come on," I said, looking outside. "We need to-" My eyes widened as I grabbed Liz and ran into the target room once more. A dragon! Here! Shit, I hoped that the rest of the group had spotted it, because I sure as hell couldn't raise an alarm without giving my own position away. Dammit! Why now?

"What-"

"Shut up!" I snapped as I drew some weapons from my pouch. Liz, spotting the action, immediately went quiet as she saw my whole demeanor change. Instead of the outgoing weird girl she had come to know, she now looked at what she perceived to be a soldier, ready for battle. "Now," I whispered under my breath. "You wait here and you say nothing and touch nothing. The dragon may start ripping off the roof, but you won't say anything or do anything but hide. Now, take this small light and find a place to hide, but once you do, you turn that light off. Do you understand?" Liz nodded once, not really offended of my curt tone.

"You better come back for me."

"This may take a few hours. Be prepared to wait." I moved out of the room, leaving the now shivering girl alone. I heard her scramble for a hiding spot and I wished her luck. This was her first dragon encounter, but she would not fight this time. I rummaged through my pack and pulled out a case, which held my precious sniper rifle. I looked through the door, knowing I was mostly hidden inside, as I efficiently began to assemble the weapon. As soon as I did so, I threw the case back in the bag and twirled the thing around. My trusty battle rifle was strapped on the back and I peeled it off. I left my trusty pack there, knowing Liz would find it later, and slung the sniper rifle over my shoulder. Lifting my battle rifle to the ready position, I made my move.

I cautiously looked out of the windows for any sign of the dragon earlier. Seeing none, I slipped outside the door and into an alley beside of the shop. I heard nothing but the beating of wings, which meant that the dragon wasn't calling for its pack yet. That meant that no one had been discovered yet, which was a plus. I kept close to the wall as I made my way toward the dragon, which I heard land not too far away. As I knelt into a crouching position, I held up my battle rifle, ready to fire at a moment's notice. I slipped around a corner and to the end of the alleyway.

There, in the middle of the street, stood a magnificent dragon stretching his wings, probably from a long flight. He didn't seem threatening in any manner, which meant that he didn't sense my presence. I kept my weapon trained on him, but scanned the area around me, looking for Julie or Hernando. Trying to find Hernando was a long shot, because that boy was trained to hide. However, I spotted Julie ironically on the alleyway beside of me and she gave a smirk, also laughing inwardly. We definitely think too alike.

She pointed to her eyes and held up one finger, signaling that she only saw one dragon. I repeated the action and she nodded once. We then pulled back into the alley a bit as the dragon lifted its head into the air. He made a roaring sound and shook his head from side to side, as if trying to wake up from his flight. A few minutes after the roar, we heard more dragon wings and Julie and I's eyes widened. This was a dragon group. With only the knowledge where the two of us were, we couldn't hope to launch a coordinated assault. We were just screwed. The dragons could easily overpower us and if we engaged, we'd put the rest of our group at risk.

As we pulled back into the alley, we heard screaming and immediately stopped. I silently rushed back to the entrance to the alley and peeked around the corner. I spotted a horrible sight. A dragon carried Alan, another one of our group, in his claws. The dragon dropped Alan onto the ground unceremoniously and Alan sat up, although shakily. The dragon from before sniffed the man once and butted him a bit. Alan stiffened, trying not to scream at the dragon so close to his face. At least the man had common sense. The dragon lifted his head again and looked around, making me lean back to cover myself.

"Come out humans," it said in a guttural voice that I almost couldn't understand. It made it all the creepier. "I have your friend and I smell his scent on you." _Shit._ Julie tightly gripped her gun and burst out of the alley before I could do anything. I glared at her, but she ignored me, focusing wholly on the dragon. "A woman?" The creature uttered a barking sound, which I equated to a laugh. "You expect a woman to save you?" he asked Alan.

"P..p..please, help me!" he cried. Julie kept her face neutral and I ran back into the alley, going in a small side door I spotted.

"What do you want, dragon?" I heard her ask. I made my way through the small home and into a living room, where I spotted a window. I went into my army pouch again and pulled out a small glass cutter, which I only used for my sniper rifle. I cut the glass quickly, trying to protect my sister.

"I want food, human. I also wanted a fight, but this isn't going to do." His lips pulled back, baring his sharp teeth. The dragon beside of Alan leaned his head down toward my friend and I finished with the glass, quickly placing it beside of me and swung my sniper rifle to my hands. Of course, this never really the best thing to do without my spotter, but he was in the dragon's hands. I took aim at the dragon, which was eyeing Alan like no tomorrow, and waited for my sister's subtle command.

"We don't want to fight you. If you give us him, we'll leave, no questions asked."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Do you need to ask such an obvious question?" I inwardly groaned. Julie wasn't one for diplomacy. The dragon growled at her.

"You pathetic human!"

"Meh. So much for cooperation." The speaking dragon hissed and the dragon I had my sights on lumbered toward Julie. I aimed and quickly fired off my first round, which thankfully hit the dragon's eye. The dragon fell over into a heap on the ground and the speaking dragon roared in anger. I aimed for the next dragon as I heard a shot from a few buildings away. That had to be Hernando. I noticed that the shot was at least across the street and I quickly amended and aimed at the dragon I thought would be outside Hernando's vision. He went down, the bullet instantly killing him. I shouldered my sniper rifle and grabbed my battle rifle once more. Hernando would take care of the last two. I ran outside, hearing one shot from the sniper rifle, and peeked out from the corner.

_Shit_.

The dragon held Alan in its mouth, the teeth already penetrating the skin, as the dragon lightly held him in its mouth. It was definitely a smart move, albeit a dick move, but it did save him from being shot immediately.

"Shoot me, human!" it said to Julie. "And as I fall, my jaws will crush this pathetic weakling." Alan screamed as the dragon's teeth moved up and down from talking, penetrating farther into his flesh.

"Fine. We'll let you go if you let the man go. I give you my word."

"Hah! The word of a human means nothing to me!" It spotted me near the entrance to the alley and narrowed its eyes at me. "You! I smell the guns on you. You killed my comrades."

"Yeah, well, your comrades were gonna eat mine." Okay, so now wasn't the time to be sarcastic. Julie was too much of an influence on me, yet there was no real way to talk ourselves out of this situation.

"I require you for payment." By this time, blood was dripping from the dragon's mouth and that alone made me immediately accept. "All right." Alan had been the man who had taught me the rest of forest lore. How to survive, adapt, and hide from the dragons who had killed my family. I would admit, he was my surrogate father and I would rather give my life than have him die for me.

"No!" Julie cried. "Where she goes, I go." The dragon looked at the two of us carefully, probably debating on whether he wanted another human or not.

"You two have potential to be useful to me," it said. "Fine." It lumbered over to us and I got splashed with Alan's blood, making me shiver in fear and revulsion. It leaned on its hind legs and grabbed Julie and I in opposite talons.

"What about Alan? You promised dragon!" Julie said confidently even as I winced at the dragon's grip. The dragon growled at her and she kept silent, ready to go into action. The dragon beat its wings a few times, lifting itself into the air. As it flew away from that street, it landed on a nearby roof and dropped Alan from its jaws. I nearly burst into laughter despite the situation, seeing as the roof he was deposited on was none other than the weapons shop itself.

"_Alan!_" I cried in Spanish, courtesy of Hernando. "_Liz is below you! Get her out! Yell and Hernando will come for you!_" The dragon gripped me tighter and I shut up as it launched into the air once again. My stomach plummeted as I spotted the height at which we were flying and I quickly closed my eyes and willed myself not to die in fear. Julie, who knew better than to yell out if I was okay, simply watched me, unable to help.

It was much later that the dragon began his descent to the ground below, making my stomach leap to my throat. As I thanked my parents for letting me on roller coasters, I calmed myself the best I could and pretended that it was an amusement ride. Unfortunately, my brain wasn't that stupid but it managed to help keep my lunch down from the experience of 'drops'. The dragon leaned back and flapped his wings as he landed on his back feet. He let go of us and we fell unceremoniously to the ground.

I hesitated to stand, still unsure of whether I was going to be sick or not, and Julie stood instead. She looked around and finally her gaze landed on me. The unsaid question was in her eyes and I nodded, letting her know I was all right. Finally I gathered my courage and stood, getting a look around. It seemed that we were outside of some lavish mountain home, and good night, it was freaking huge. It was three stories high, adorned with balconies and what seemed to be a tub of some sort on the back porch.

"Inside humans." I shrugged as Julie looked at me and made my way inside, where I gaped in amazement. The whole of this room was open and three stories high, with railings lining the whole square of the room. Incredible! Beside me I heard Julie whistle her own appreciation, and we both walked a bit more into the room, looking up at the floors above. Behind us, the door shut and we whirled, only to see a gigantic dragon staring back at us. Wait. How the hell did he get through that tiny door? Admittedly, I wasn't paying much attention, so he had probably shapeshifted to get in.

"You will obey me at all times," it said. Julie and I kept quiet, well aware that the dragon could decide to eat us at any time. "Now, what are your names, humans?"

"I'm Julie," my sister stated, stepping forward slightly as if to protect me.

"Jessica," I said quietly. I was the one he was pissed at. Sure enough, he narrowed his eyes at me again. "I'm called Jessi most of the time, though."

"And what is your name, dragon?" my sister asked, bring his attention back to her.

"I am Saphir," it said before lumbering toward us. "Drop your weapons. All of them." I sighed as Julie and I slowly began the process of dropping our weapons. I dropped my army belt as she dropped hers. She threw her swords down as I placed my sniper rifle on the ground. Next came her battle rifle as I dropped my own. We eyed each other and nodded, the challenge issued. Weapon after weapon was placed in the growing pile at our feet, our grins widening after each round. Finally, Julie shrugged and I pulled out my trump card, the knife I kept sheathed to my back.

"Hah. I win," I muttered as she glowered at me.

"Is there anything else you two are hiding?" the dragon asked, actually sounding amused.

"Nope." For good measure, he leaned forward and sniffed me once. Satisfied, he did the same with Julie and backed away from us. He then lifted his head and leaned back on his hind legs as his body started to morph into human features. Julie and I started in fascination as his bones popped and his skin retracted until he became a full human. Now, I'll admit it. I gaped.

He had thin red hair that framed aristocratic features, and somehow looked as if he had spent at least three hours styling it. He had high cheekbones, gorgeous lips, and beautiful golden eyes that almost seemed molten. He was tall yet fit, his muscles easily seen through the semi tight clothes he wore. His clothes, however, were a mix of human and dragon, since I was sure that the pants were somehow tailored for him.

"Come here, dragon killer." I snapped out of my perusal, and judging by the smirk, he had caught me gawking. Oh well. I hadn't expected a pureblood to have such a beautiful counterpart, nor had I ever seen one in his human form before. If it weren't for the golden eye that betrayed he was a pureblood, I wouldn't have guessed. Then again, his attitude would quickly give him away.

As I neared him, he leapt forward and violently spun me around, then kicked the back of my knees, making me drop to the floor with a wince. I felt cold steel on my right wrist and I quickly tried my damndest to pull free. However, I heard the fateful click of the handcuffs and knew that I had lost. I turned to see him smirking at my pained and fearful expression.

"You will stay with the girl, so you will have freedom. Know that if you leave, I will kill her. Understand?" he spoke to Julie. Julie, who did not like being threatened and not being in control, let out a curt nod as her eyes screamed retribution. "Find wherever you wish to sleep but do not go near my room. You'll know which one it is." With this, he gave a yank on the handcuff chain, forcing me back to my feet. "Come on." He lead me through the hallway and up two flights of stairs to reach the third floor. As we entered the first door, I gaped.

"Oh…my…" I trailed off in wonder at the luxurious room. It was carpeted in a pure white, with a mahogany framed bed in the corner of the room. The room itself was adorned with various chairs and couches, with a television in the other corner.

"You will sleep with me tonight. Try anything and I will not hesitate to kill you or your sister." _Yeah, yeah, we know already._

He yanked my handcuff chain again and I rebelled inwardly against this treatment. I couldn't vocalize it, because face it. He wouldn't give a damn. I killed his friends, his family. I was lucky I hadn't gotten eaten on the spot, and I wasn't going to push my luck and become a problem to him.

He led me to the bed and handcuffed me to the bottom part of the bed, to where I had to sleep on the floor. Oh, I knew what he was about. I was so close to this plush bed yet I had to sleep on the floor like his slave. Whatever. I'd slept on worse and this carpet was much more comfortable than the cold ground. His smirk died on his lips as I easily sat down to remove my boots, not rising to the bait.

"You will sleep on the floor human," he clarified, trying his best to get a rise out of me.

"I know," I said easily, placing both boots beside of me. I laid down with a small sigh of contentment; the carpet was as comfortable as it looked. Of course, it would be nothing compared to the bed, but it was a nice change from sleeping outside. "Man, my dad must have had it easy when he lived in a house. This is the life!" I could see his eyebrow twitch in what seemed like annoyance. His plan to amuse himself had failed him, but I was glad to have won one argument without intentionally pissing him off.

"Sleeping on the floor like a slave suits you," he spoke finally, his voice cruel and taunting. I yawned like the words didn't rile me.

"Mm, you think? If all slaves got this carpet to sleep on, I wouldn't complain much either." Again the eye twitched and inwardly, I pumped a fist in victory. Score two for the human.

Finally he whirled onto the bed and out of my vision. I heard nothing but the rustling of covers as I finally allowed my content face to drop. I was damn worried. Julie was downstairs and I was in the clutch of a dragon. A cunning one at that. And I still had no idea about his intentions and what he would do with me. Was I being taken to later be killed? Was I really going to be his new slave? I didn't like the unknown and it bothered me that I couldn't find out until I was told. The loss of control chafed, but I could handle it. I had been trained to survive.

And I would survive this situation, like I always had. Lady Luck was my constant companion, after all.


	3. Chapter 3

I woke to a yank on the handcuffs and I groaned.

"Get up, dragon killer." I complied and rolled out of bed. Saphir drug me behind him and out into the main room, where I spotted Julie cleaning her weapons in the corner. When she spotted us, she put her handgun back together and stood. "We'll be going to Raleigh today," Saphir announced. Both Julie and I stiffened. We were going to the capital city of North Carolina? That was suicide! Most of it was destroyed anyways.

"That's suicide!" Julie said, as if she read my thoughts. "It's insane, idiotic, and just plain stupid! That's where the dragons live, we all know that!"

"And I want you to kill them." I turned my gaze to Saphir, who was looking quite unperturbed by our outbursts. "There are three that I need you to kill, for now."

"You want us to kill your own race?" I asked, incredulously. "Aren't you guys supposed to like each other?" Julie quirked an eyebrow and I answered her unspoken question. "The dragons living in Raleigh are mainly purebloods with a hint of half-breeds strewn in between."

"They went against my clan and killed half of us. I want their leaders dead."

"Revenge is always a good motive," Julie commented. She shrugged at me. "The more dragons dead, the better. I'm in."

"Well, I've got no objections." I whipped out my handy maps and turned to Saphir. "Where are we exactly?" Instead of answering, he jabbed at a spot. "How fast can you fly?" I asked.

"Fast enough," he retorted, affronted.

"Well, judging by average dragon speeds, we can reach Raleigh in around an hour."

"We'll be walking." I did a double take.

"Why?"

"I don't want to be spotted. I'm sure you two will do just fine."

"And you're not coming?" Julie asked.

"Oh, I am. I'll be watching you two closely."

"Why?" asked Julie again.

"Because this human way of killing has its merits. I'm not above using every technique to kill."

"Remind me not to get on your bad side," Julie stated. Saphir gestured to the corner where our weapons were stashed. Julie and I didn't hesitate and I walked forward, only to be snapped back. Saphir then walked with me and I suited up like I always had. "I cleaned your sniper rifle. I figured we would need it."

"But we're going in blind without Hernando. He was always scouted for us."

"Consider yourself nominated," Julie retorted sarcastically. I growled my answer, preferring not to begin a swear-fest. Saphir didn't comment, only yanked my handcuffs to hurry me up. Recon was a pain in the ass and required days and sleepless nights of watching the target.

"And consider yourself my spotter. I'm not going down alone." It was Julie's turn to glare at me and I smirked at her. We walked out of the warehouse and Julie stopped and pointed at a store down the street.

"Bingo," she said. This time, I pulled Saphir along with me as we walked into the bike shop. Julie went 'shopping' and I hung back with Saphir.

"What are these contraptions?" he asked as he spun a wheel.

"Bikes. They're not mechanical but are virtually silent and don't leave any smell, really. It'll get us over rough terrain pretty easily. There are some bike trails…" I whipped out another map and studied it carefully. "Here," I said, pointing at a spot. "And we can follow them for a few days until we hit this town…" I followed and plotted the trail with my eyes. "Then if we follow this…we can hit this back road...and then go here…" Saphir toned me out and scanned the bike store once again, letting his hand hang by his side.

"Here!" Julie said, wheeling two bikes with each hand. "I got these two. Look at the shocks on these babies." I was pulled out of my musings and glanced at the bikes, nodding in agreement.

"You're right. They're mountain bikes. Look for cushioned seats though so we don't die."

"They're cushioned. See?" Julie pounded on the seats, which only gave part way and I quirked an eyebrow at her. "All right, all right. I'm going."

"Get a wrench while you're at it and I'll switch 'em." Julie nodded before disappearing once again and I pocketed the unused maps, rolling the important ones in my hand. "Want a bike?" I asked politely. Saphir's look of ultimate disdain made me regret the question.

"I'll run."

"You'll run," I stated in a mix of sarcastic and disbelief. "I'm sure you'll keep up." He threw a look my way, almost making me flinch.

"I'm not a pathetic human. I can swap between my dragon and human form."

"And…" I prompted.

"I can control the amount of change between the forms. I can manipulate my muscle and bone structure to run faster. I won't explain the details, suffice to say, I'm capable of keeping up with your pathetic form of transportation." How this man…er…dragon could put the perfect amount of disdain and sarcasm to deflate any dignity I could possibly muster is beyond me.

"Fine. Don't say I didn't try to be nice."

"I don't want you to." I rolled my eyes in exasperation, a gesture I picked up  
from Julie.

"Fine." I turned my back to Saphir, a childish gesture. Instead of simply ignoring my antics, he yanked my handcuffs, turning me back to him. With that simple gesture, I reached my first epiphany about Saphir. He didn't like to be ignored, a very human emotion.

"However, we both need to work together to kill these bastards," he ground out. I recognized the truce between us and took the advantage.

"What…exactly did they do?" I asked. He stared at me, containing his emotions, but I saw the spark of anger.

"Sanglant, the unelected leader of Raleigh, found out that I was near his clan. I naively thought that we could live in harmony for one night. He ordered a hit and took out half of my clan before we pushed his force back. I want revenge." I shivered in reaction to his passionate speech. "And as much as it pains me to say it, I require your help."

"You know," I sighed. "I really didn't kill your friends out of cold blood. I'm one of the few humans who don't hate your kind. Saying that, I'm going to help you kill him. As corny as this sounds, I believe in honor. It's one of the few things Julie and I have left and Sanglant…well, I don't like him." Fortunately, Julie arrived before I could dig a deeper hole for myself.

"Here's the seats. You can uncuff her now," she hinted, glaring at Saphir. He smirked at her before whisking out the key and deftly unlocking my cuff. Julie chucked the wrench at me and I barely caught the projectile aimed for my head. She slid the bike seats over to me and I began the work on the bikes.

"So when do we leave?" Julie asked, forcing some sort of conversation.

"After the dragon killer finishes her work." I sighed as I chucked the unneeded bike seat over my shoulder and screwed on the new one.

"Why don't you call her by her name?" Julie asked.

"Because she is a dragon killer." I finished the seat and moved to the next bike, ignoring Saphir and Julie's verbal sparring. I'll give Saphir credit for knowing how to push Julie's buttons, which was becoming hilarious.

"My God, we know already! Just call her by her damn name!" I could sense the smirk Saphir threw Julie's way and she swore in annoyance. This was the first person to really get under Julie's skin and I was going to savor her reaction for eternity.

"And I have been. Don't you humans use nicknames? I've given her a special one." I finished the last seat and turned just to see Julie in mid-punch. Instead of getting pissed, Saphir blocked the punch, laughing in amusement. Julie growled and launched a roundhouse kick. Knowing that Saphir was just going to piss her off even more, I stepped in and blocked her leg.

"Enough. If we're going to kill Sanglant, we should leave. We've got enough food to last us the trip and we've got enough ammo."

"What about the 50 cal?" Julie asked, ignoring Saphir.

"I gave them to Hernando. As we get closer to Raleigh, there will be better shops on the way. Of course, that means more surveillance, but that's fine." Julie walked over and grabbed her bike while I rolled mine out of the door. Saphir followed me closely.

"If you try to run, I will kill you."

"Look, I gave you my word and I value that. It's really the only thing Julie and I have left."

"That is the corniest-"

"Oh, shut the hell up, Julie."

"Tender, are we?" I sent a loathing glare her way and she raised her right hand in surrender. "All right, I'll leave it alone." I jumped on the bike and quickly sped off, leaving Julie behind me. To my mild surprise, Saphir kept beside me easily. I heard Julie behind me and I led the way down the trail.

******************

"So where are we?" Julie asked, building her encampment. I had already finished my own and was building the roof.

"We're in the middle of nowhere."

"But where?"

"You check the damn maps," I muttered. Saphir, who was lying on a tree close to me, glanced over my way.

"Are you still mad about earlier?" I didn't say anything and just threw more needles onto my makeshift roof. Finally done, I threw down a blanket to cover myself with and another blanket for a pillow. "You know it's going to be cold tonight." I threw down another thin blanket and Julie rolled her eyes. "I mean, really cold. Can't you feel it?"

"Well that's the only blankets I got and you need yours. Hell, why don't we share a camp for the night?"

"No. I sleep alone, thank you."

"Jesus, it was Minnie that peed, not me. I'm not freaking five."

"Well, I don't sleep with anyone."

"And if I die tonight, good luck navigating."

"Will the two of you be quiet?" Saphir snapped. "I'll sleep with you, you pathetic human."

"No, I'm going to," Julie said, immediately countering Saphir. She began gathering up her blankets but had already given Saphir the ammunition he needed to harass her. He was behind me in a second, pressing his body against mine and nuzzling my neck. I immediately tensed and my eyes locked with Julie's.

"Get off of her," Julie yelled, coming towards us. Saphir launched himself into a tree branch above us, away from Julie. I grabbed his arms in self-preservation, like an idiot.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked.

"I don't like heights. Put me doooown." I struggled at the last part...like an idiot.

"Fine." He dropped me immediately and I caught the branch as I fell. I looked to the ground, judging the distance from me to the hard, unforgiving ground. It wasn't pretty.

"Julieeeee," I called.

"Start climbing," she retorted. "And leave her the hell alone, you stupid dragon." I wrapped my legs around the tree and made my way past Saphir to the trunk of the tree. To my aggravation, he plopped down on the branch and simply watched my progress. I wriggled down the tree and sighed in relief as my feet touched the ground. Julie immediately snatched my wrist and tugged towards my finished encampment. As I stumbled forward, I was pulled back by Saphir, who held my waist. Julie yanked and I grunted at the unpleasant sensation. Saphir lowered his head to my right ear and nibbled slightly, causing me to shiver.

"Is there a problem, human?" he asked Julie.

"Wasn't she the one that killed your friends?" The reaction was immediate. Saphir froze in place and I tensed. Julie had crossed a line, one that was still fresh and raw. Unfortunately, I was in his arms. He tightened his grip to the point of pain and I bit my lip to keep from crying out. Julie and Saphir were locked in a glare with one another, ignoring me and my agony. I didn't dare move from the fear of what Saphir might do to me; the truce we had formed was fragile at best. As my fear mounted for my sister and I, Saphir finally glanced down at me. I looked at him fearfully but I couldn't tell anything from his impasseveness. He let go as he saw blood on my lip and I scrambled away from the both of them.

"Julie," I heaved. "Shut the hell up and get to bed." The anger in my voice was evident and Julie, knowing she was in deep trouble, actually listened to me.

"Do you need one of my blankets?" she asked quietly. I shook my head.

"I'll live. Go." She walked to her embankment and began to finish her earlier work. I made my way over to my own little camp, totally ignoring Saphir, and patted the earth down to discourage any insects from coming inside. I grabbed the flap and began to close it but a hand stopped it halfway. As I followed the hand, I soon made eye contact with Saphir. He didn't speak, but simply dropped into my encampment and released the flap. I hesitated then closed it. As I burrowed under the covers, I was aware of Saphir doing the same. His back was to me and I burrowed my back closer to him for warmth. He didn't move or speak, which was a slight comfort. I finally closed my eyes, ready to go to sleep.

****************

I woke during the night shivering. Even with Saphir's heat, I was freezing cold. I couldn't take it anymore and flipped over, burrowing my front into his back. I kept my hands hugging my chest to save what little heat I could. He sighed and I nearly screamed.

"Are you that cold, dragon killer?"

"I…ye…maybe." With another resigned sigh, he flipped over and pulled me against his toned chest.

"If you tell anyone about this, I will rip out your innards and feed them to the ravens." I choked on a laugh.

"To ravens, huh?"

"Those are some nasty birds." I giggled softly and placed my head on his outstretched arm. He then fully enveloped me and threw his leg over mine. "But…maybe to seagulls. I don't like the ravens myself." I smiled as the heat began to thaw my frozen body.

"Seagulls…would be nice," I said softly, slowly falling asleep.

"And why is that?"

"Because then I would be near or in the sea."

"Do you like the sea?" he asked, a hint of some sort of emotion in his voice. I was too tired to peg it, however.

"I love the sea. I haven't been there in so long…"

"You've been there?"

"Once, with my family. It was beautiful. Every night, I fell asleep on the beach just listening to the sound of the ocean. But then, we had to leave because the dragons came."

"Why did you have to leave?"

"Because the purebloods kill humans. We don't want to fight them, but they killed one of my friends just because he happened to be farther down the beach than I was." I was saved by a half-breed named Ewan. I want to see him again…" As I whispered my final wish, I finally succumbed to the sleep my body was craving.


	4. Chapter 4

I woke up the next morning, surprisingly awake and refreshed. However, Saphir was nowhere in sight. I lifted my awning cautiously and scanned the skies and ground before opening my encampment fully. I saw Julie already by the bikes, fastening her pack to her back.

"You're finally up. You ready to go?" I shrugged.

"I guess. Where's Saphir?"

"Haven't seen the bastard since he slept with you last night." I held up my hands in surrender.

"Down boy. Nothing happened, I swear. I fell asleep pretty quickly. I think I woke up once, but I can't remember it very well, so I must have just rolled over and went back to sleep." Julie chuckled.

"You sleep like a rock, you know that?" I shrugged again.

"What should we do about Saphir?" I asked, bringing up the inevitable question.

"Well, we should move on. He has our scent by now and he can follow us."

"But what about our marks?" I asked quietly.

"A good sniper can figure it out."

"Not that. I'm sure I can find and kill Sanglant, but it was the other two marks."

"Damn," Julie swore. "You're right. Well, the only thing we can do is go forward. It's going to take a while getting to Raleigh and we need all the time we can get for recon." I nodded in agreement. She gestured to the bikes and we hopped on simultaneously. I began the trek, knowing where I was going.

********************

We stopped for lunch after we finally exited the mountains. Fortunately, we had found a small highway which led us out fairly quickly. And on top of that, we had the endurance of soldiers.

"Pass me the ravioli." I tossed her the can and she opened it with her knife, tossing the top to the side. I was eating Spaghetti O's. I know, not healthy for you, but with all the exercise we got, we could get away with the carbs and such.

"You seen him?" I asked through my food.

"Nah. I've been looking for him or for any tracks, but that's impossible at our speed and he's pretty good in the wilderness, or so I figure. He'll show up eventually. What made him leave in the first place? Did you do something?"

"Again, I don't remember. I don't remember anything in my sleep."

"Hah, you pissed him off."

"And you did too. Which reminds me, if you piss him off while he's got a hold of me, so help me god, I WILL kill you."

"Fair enough," Julie conceded. "I just wanted him off of you."

"I know." I sighed. "Which is why I haven't killed you yet. But seriously, stop antagonizing the dragon."

"No can do," she said, eating her last ravioli. I groaned. "But ignoring this trivial conversation, what are we going to do now? We lived in the mountains so long I forgot how to operate out here. And Raleigh is nothing but demolished buildings and flat ground. Plus, with so many dragons, they'll smell the scent of the gunpowder right away."

"I know. It's a suicide mission. But we can't tell that to Saphir. We have to remain valuable to him." I brought out my trusty maps. "However, that's not the bad part. We have to cross the freaking state to get to Raleigh. There's not much forest in between us and it. There's a lot of house complexes along the way and many of the towns are on surveillance. That means no big stores along the way. On top of that, we have to ditch our packs. They're too conspicuous and we can't build shelters to hide ourselves."

"We can keep the packs," Julie said. "And just spend the night in houses."

"That's iffy at best Julie. Most are wired with security systems. If they even go off once, we're dead on arrival. Plus, there's not many houses between here and there."

"That means no fancy houses. We go for the shabbier ones, the ones still standing, at least. And we can check the power lines. If they aren't on, the town isn't wired."

"That could be a trap, though."

"We'll hope the dragons aren't that smart yet. Come on." I sighed and finished the last part of my Spaghetti O's and threw the can aside. "Where to next?" she asked. I pointed to a back road.

"Here. We follow this. There's a forest here and we can go through there. It's the safest but it'll take a while to go through. I'll have to use my machete for the briars."

"Then no. We'll have to do this quickly. Next way."

"We can ride the highways. It's the quickest but also the most dangerous."

"Any other way?"

"We can ride the back roads. There's not as much chance that they'll be patrolling them and we can actually ride. However, some lead out of the way and will take more time than the highways, but it won't take as long as the forest route."

"I think we have a winner. I vote for the back roads."

"Fine by me."

"How far do we need to go by nightfall?"

"You don't wanna know." We mounted our bikes and Julie laughed.

"I love a challenge."

"I'm sure you do. Start pedaling." I began to pedal, but my bike suddenly stopped, throwing my chest straight into the handle bars. "Son of a bitch, you stupid piece of-"

"Jessie," Julie said sharply. I stopped the swearing and turned around. I was met with a very angry Saphir. I laughed nervously.

"I meant the bike…" I said weakly. He didn't change his expression.

"Where were you two going?" he asked. I pointed left.

"That way?"

"That's away from Raleigh."

"Actually, we were going to-"

"Enough! Don't lie to me, dragon killer."

"She's not lying," Julie cut in. "We're taking the back roads. It's not as conspicuous as the highway or slow as the forest route. Plus we can keep most of our weapons this way." He stared at me a moment longer before releasing my bike and I sighed in relief. Julie to the rescue. She began to pedal away from him and I pedaled beside of her. Saphir was running to Julie's right. "So where were you?" Julie asked.

"None of your business. Why did you leave me?"

"You gave us a job to do and we're doing it." He laughed derisively.

"I'm sure you were."

"You just don't understand snipers, do you?" Julie said in the same tone as Saphir. "When given a job, we don't rest until it's done. We're the heart of the military, you arrogant dragon, and that's why we were employed in every war since the Revolutionary War." I looked at her surprised. She'd actually listened to one of my lectures?

"Oh?" Saphir asked condescendingly.

"He just doesn't know, Julie," I said, placating her. She turned away from Saphir. "And why are you so angry?"

"I wouldn't ask if I were you, dragon killer." I rolled my eyes. It was times like this when the nickname got annoying.

"Fine. Now before you run off again, what are the other two marks? What are their names?"

"Rowena and Genis."

"Rowena? A girl dragon?" Julie asked. I simply shook my head at her ignorance.

"Yes," Saphir snarled. Before he could get started, I stepped in.

"Just because she's a girl dragon doesn't make her any less of a threat. Females are notoriously protective of their family and young, which probably is increased in a clan setting. If I had to guess, she's a high ranked dragon…probably the mate of Sanglant." Saphir nodded curtly, keeping pace with us. "And Genis is his right hand…er…dragon?" Again, Saphir nodded.

"So we have to kill the right hand dragons. How the hell do we get away? Our gunpowder will be all over us." I grinned at Julie and she braked instantly. I followed suit and Saphir halted, looking at me impassively. "I know you well enough to recognize you have a sadist side. What are you thinking of?"

"The Rangers." Julie stiffened instantly.

"You mean…"

"Yeah. We call in the Rangers. They're always up for a good fight. Plus, ample distraction and getaway time."

"We couldn't even begin to convince them of this."

"Oh?" I asked, a smirk on my face. Julie leaned away slightly.

"I really don't like this side of you."

"I've got some standing as a sniper and you have some as a soldier," I continued, ignoring her little comment. "Plus, I know Gator."

"You know Gator?" she asked incredulously. "How?"

"Didn't you always wonder what I did at night?"

"Ewww!!!! That's so wrong!" she began to claw out her eyes and I laughed.

"Not like that, you pervert. I was his protégé. He knows me fairly well and I know some of his men as well. It's been a long time, but I'm sure he remembers."

"So we ask them…"

"Yes."

"After our recon?"

"They can even help us recon. They'll have information we don't and can tell us more about our marks." We ignored the look Saphir gave us. "What do you think?"

"I think it's brilliant but where would we find said organization?" I drew a small box from my pouch and opened it, revealing a small device. I drew my knife and pricked my hand. As the blood welled, I pressed it in a depression in the device. It beeped once, then emitted a hologram. It showed the Earth for a moment before beeping again. It zoomed into North America, then to North Carolina. I pumped my fist at our luck. It zoomed in again to show the west side of the state. It zoomed in again and again until it hit a county. With a final zoom it showed a dense forest before flicking itself off. I put it back and then pulled out the maps.

"Hah. Five miles, Julie."

"Are you serious?"

"I'm dead serious. Look! We follow this road until he hit exit 27. Then we take Perry Road and then we branch off of the bikes and hike for one mile. We'll hit them then. Now, ground rules. One," I looked at Saphir. "This stays between us. You so much as even try to annihilate them-"

"I won't." I was taken aback at his sudden agreement. "They helped my clan in a war a year ago. I do not forget the debt, even if it's to pathetic humans." Julie quirked an eyebrow but I rounded on her next. "Julie, no killing people, no harming them, no fights, no sex-"

"What?" she cried in desperation.I rolled my eyes.

"One partner only. However, this is a good trading spot. They got a hell of a lot of good weapons. We can trade in for high powered sniper rifles and better scopes."

"But won't these work?"

"I'm planning to be back about 600 to 800 feet."

"But doesn't that cut back accuracy?"

"Yes but I don't feel like getting eaten. You wanna fight a clan of dragons head on?" She shook her head. "Good. Then we'll get the higher rifles. Again, Julie, no drinking, no drugs, no wild parties, no stripping-"

"That was only once!"

"No stripping." She rolled her eyes. "And just to include everything else, no stupidity." She glared but I ignored her. "Now, I believe it's a good time to get going. The sun's going to set soon and the dragons will be roaming tonight." Julie and I locked eyes for a moment. We both sensed a upcoming fight. We then started pedaling furiously to reach the Rangers before nightfall.


	5. Chapter 5

We kept pedaling, trying to outrun our instinctive fear. Something was stalking us. Of course, being the intelligent person I was, it didn't take much to realize it was a dragon. The dragon, however, was keeping his distance, which was an oddity. Finally, I couldn't take anymore and braked. Julie followed suit and Saphir slid to a stop.

"The hell's wrong with you? We need to go, NOW!"

"It's already too late, Julie." I scanned the skies until I saw the faint speck I was looking for.

"The dragon killer is right. We are being hunted." Julie and I both dismounted our bikes and threw off our hiking packs, leaving ourselves more mobile for the upcoming fight. The speck in the sky suddenly dove into a steep dive, spiraling towards us. Julie simply walked over to my side and watched as the dragon approached. She rested her hands on the guns on her hips while I held my battle rifle loosely by my side. The dragon finally pulled up from the dive and landed, nearly hitting the ground in the process.

"Just my luck," it growled out, its words more garbled than Saphir's. "I have two humans and a dragon to eat. I need your flesh," it said, trying to instill fear.

"And why would you need flesh?" Julie asked sarcastically. I kept my stoic face and kept silent, ready to fight within a moment's notice.

"Because I need to kill them. They killed my clan and I will have my revenge."

"Who?" Julie asked, agitated.

"The Rangers."

"Oh, well, in that case, no. I'll keep my flesh."

"It is not your choice to make, human." It reared its head back and I brought my rifle to arms.

"Make another move and I will kill you," I threatened.

"Oh?" it asked before opening its mouth. I shot a few rounds and it pierced the roof of the dragon's mouth. It cried out in pain and anguish before turning its angry eyes on me. "You will pay for that, human!" It began to lumber toward me and Julie and I sprang into action. I dove right and she dove left, pulling her handguns out in the process. We unloaded into the dragon's soft underbelly as it breathed flame Julie's way. It singed part of her hair and she glared, obviously pissed.

"That's it!" With that, she spun a weapon from her back and rested it on her shoulder. My eyes widened and I began to haul ass away from her. As I passed Saphir, I grabbed his wrist and continued running. She finally shot the rocket launcher and nailed the dragon in the gut. The shockwave knocked all three of us off of our feet.

"Julie," I coughed out, trying to drag valuable oxygen back into my lungs. "I'm kicking your ass." Saphir, almost undaunted by the explosion, simply got to his feet, dusted himself off, and sent a look full of pure disdain my way.

"Hurry up, dragon killer." I forked him the bird before letting my arm drop down to my side, letting me recover.

"Julie…why the hell do you have a rocket launcher?" I asked, quite angrily.

"I saw it in one of the homes I went in."

"When?" I slowly sat up, wheezing the question out.

"In Andrews," she answered nonchalantly. "I can't believe it actually worked. This thing is ancient! It's the T-14 series!" I shot her a dirty look.

"You mean you just shot a weapon that was probably defective without properly inspecting it?" Julie remained silent and cautiously looked away. "You idiot."

"I smell humans, dragon killer." Both Julie and I sobered at Saphir's voice and looked around cautiously. I rose to my feet, coughing a bit, and raised my hands preemptively.

"We come in peace!" Julie cried, lifting her hands in mock surrender. I slapped my forehead and groaned.

"There's only a few smartasses in the world that would taunt us at gunpoint," a disembodied voice said. "And fire an out of date weapon without inspection." To my surprise, the man stepped out from the treeline and gave us a once over. "Who are you?" Before Julie could dig a deeper hole, I stepped in.

"Gator," I said, bringing his attention back to me. "Ignore her."

"Well, well, well," he murmured, coming over to me. "What's your name?" I gave him a weird look while Julie laughed.

"Thanks, Gator. That means a lot to me."

"I thought you said he knew you," Julie said through her laughter. "So you lied!"

"I didn't lie," I growled out. "It was a while ago, you ass." A light blush tinted my cheeks. "I was younger back then." Gator's eyes widened.

"Jessie?" he asked.

"See? I wasn't bullshitting you! He knows me!" Julie sobered, still wearing her stupid grin.

"Fine. You may know him after all. Happy?"

"Immensely," I commented dryly.

"You grew up," Gator said, giving me a full once over. I looked away, unused to the male attention. This sent Julie into peals of laughter once more. My eyes finally met Saphir's icy golden gaze and I sobered.

"I've come to you for help."

"Help?"

"I have marks I'm going after. I need any recon you have on them and maybe some men?" I asked. He remained silent and thought about it.

"We can't talk out here. It's dangerous, especially with the dragon's blood everywhere." He made a few signs and numerous soldiers slid out from their hiding places. Gator pointed toward the dragon and they all gathered around the corpse. To my surprise, they began slicing the meat into strips. "And we can't let it go to waste."

"Won't they be able to smell it?" I asked him.

"Not in a waterfall," he answered, an amused grin on his face. "We'll hike through the river first, so I'm afraid it will be a bit on the cold side."

"I like him," Julie said suddenly.

"And I like you," he replied smoothly. Her grin showed her appreciation of his wit and personality. "I'm sure you have already heard rules?" Julie nodded and he laughed slightly.

"You haven't changed in that sense, Jessi," he said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "You're still my little protégé." I ducked, trying to get away from him, and he caught my neck in a headlock and ruffled my hair.

"Gator!!!" I whined. "I'm not little anymore!"

"I know. You have a chest now, which is quite an eyeful, might I add."

"No, you might not," I retorted. Julie burst out laughing once more and I knew she had a source of amusement for a few days.

"But now, I'm afraid we must leave," Gator said, noticing his soldier's wave to signal their completion of their task. "We have to get a head start." Instantly the calm, teasing atmosphere disappeared as we all went into "soldier mode". Julie and I grabbed our gear and bikes and walked into the forest. "Leave the bikes here," Gator said, dropping a tracker to the ground. "They'll only get in the way." Julie, Saphir, and I didn't argue, but simply followed his lead.

I was amazed at Saphir's self control at the moment. He was completely holding up to his end of the deal.  
We were hiking the god forsaken freezing river for thirty minutes. I had to admire the tenacity of the soldiers around me. They had to do this daily. I looked toward Julie and saw that she was shivering. I made my way over to her and wrapped an arm around her waist, giving her what little support I could. Uncharacteristically, she clung to me and it was then I knew that she was in deep trouble. Julie never clings. I took off my bag and swung it to rest over my chest. I grabbed Julie and arranged her in a piggyback position. She burrowed her head in my neck and I grunted at the extra weight. Instead of stopping completely, I began sloshing through the knee deep river. With Julie, my load was twice as heavy, but she kept me warmer.

"We're almost there," Gator said, noting Julie's condition. "I've radioed ahead and the doctors are on standby." I nodded once, not trusting my voice to waver and kept up the sloshing. As we rounded the bend, I spotted the waterfall and I nearly sunk to my knees in relief. Instead, I felt a renewed sense of urgency. Julie was probably dropping into hypothermia, though she wouldn't admit it later. We made it to the waterfall where a handful of men swarmed out and grabbed Julie. They took her back inside but a few men stayed outside.

One threw an arm around me and I gratefully leaned my weight against him. He took my pack and slung it over one shoulder and led me through the waterfall and inside the base. Saphir followed me as I was led through natural and man-made tunnels. They deposited me in a bed, where I saw dry clothes laid out on the bed. The man left me then to dress. Ignoring Saphir, I stripped immediately, throwing my wet pants and shirt to the ground.

"Turn around," I ordered. I didn't even look to see if he complied, I simply took off my wet underwear and dressed into the warm, clean ones. I jumped into the bed, finally allowing the shivers to rock my body. My teeth began chattering and I rubbed my upper arms to try to warm back up. To my complete surprise, I felt the bed sag and two warm, welcome arms drag me into a delightfully warm body.

"Rest now, dragon killer. Tomorrow, you will hunt." For once, my name didn't seem quite to accusatory. It seemed almost affectionate, which was true. I was now officially his weapon to be used at his disposal. Though he didn't seem to happy about his clan, he was seeing to my welfare. He needed me for now. As these last thoughts passed through my head, my eyes closed and Saphir's body heat eventually lulled me to sleep.

*******************

"So if we come in through the south," I started as I drew my finger along the route in discussion, "We'll end up only a mile away from the nest itself. Plus, we have the river about a quarter mile away from here." I jabbed at a spot on the map, a craggy spot with good cover.

"Can you make it?" Gator asked. I gave him an accusatory look.

"Puh-lease," Julie said. "That's child's play." She proceeded to inspect her nails, looking bored at the whole conversation. Gator laughed and threw an arm around Julie.

"You two have more balls than brains," he stated. Julie threw a smirk her way and I jolted. I knew that smirk. That smirk was used for man hunting. I began to snicker, and Saphir looked at me questioningly. I shook my head and looked down at the maps, trying to contain the laughter bubbling inside of me.

"So is it a plan?" Everyone nodded.

"We'll kill the bastards once and for all!" A recruit in the back yelled. Of course, being mostly male, the room erupted into one big 'hoo-rah!', Julie included. Everyone started filing out of the room, most going to the mess...cave....for dinner. I followed the general flow of people, not at all tailing Julie and the laughing Gator. I wouldn't know that they were heading back to Gator's quarters. As they passed his room and they walked inside, I kept walking, not that I was watching the pair out of my peripheral vision.

"Hey Jessi!" I turned at Gator's voice. Saphir, who was walking beside me, stopped at well. "There's room for three on my bed!"

"But you're not equipped to handle both me and Julie at the same time!" I shot back. "Have fun, you two!" I waved and turned back around, straight into Saphir's chest. I stepped back and rubbed my nose. "What was that for?"

"Why is she with Gator?" Saphir asked. I stopped rubbing my nose and gaped at him.

"Are you seriously asking that question?" He glared at me. "I thought dragon's could smell pheramones....hmm....maybe that's an individual thing...but Ewan could...." I was stopped from my ramblings by someone linking arms with me. I turned to see Ian, a soldier that had taught me basic karate maneuvers.

"Yo, Jessi. Julie get one before you?" I rolled my eyes.

"Just because I'm not naked yet doesn't mean that I can't get a guy. It just means I've got more self control than her."

"Self control is overrated," Ian retorted. "I'll be glad to show you some stuff I learned over the years." I broke apart from him.

"Oh, god, Ian!" Ian began laughing, clearly amused at my embarassment. He stopped laughing and I turned to see him pinned up on a wall, Saphir's hand on his throat. "Saphir! Put him down!" I lunged at Saphir's arm, pressing the pressure point on his elbow. However, Saphir didn't even flinch. "Saphir!"

"You will not partake of any reverlry tonight."

"For god's sake, Saphir! He was joking!" I put my hands on his arm. "You promised me." Saphir's eyes bore into mine, but I held his gaze. In reaction, he dropped Ian and I immediately knelt on the floor next to my coughing friend. "Ian?" I asked, holding the back of his head.

"If this is what it takes for you to touch me, I'm sure I'll have to buy more handcuffs."

"God, Ian," I said, smaking his chest. "Now I know you're fine." Ian began to slowly stand up, but I didn't help him, knowing that would be an insult to his masculinity. "I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Right." I waved goodbye to him and walked away from the volatile situation. I threaded my way through the people and made my way through the people and walked into my own 'room', that was given to me and Julie. I dropped the curtain and immediately fell onto my bed.

"Men," i said into the pillow. The one word summed up my feelings for all of their species, which had deteriorated in the span of a minute. "Stupid, stupid testosterone." I shuffled around on my bed and got comfortable, knowing that I'd have to fall asleep or the worry and nerves wouldn't let me sleep at all tonight. Fortunately for me, I fell asleep almost instantly

************

"Roger that," I said into my mic. I swung my sniper rifle from my back to my hands and began the delicate operation of setting up my sniper's nest. I had made my guilly suit (a suit snipers make to blend in with their surroundings) and managed to pull it on in ten seconds flat. After that, I grabbed my cover and started to make the trek toward my predistined sniper spot. True to their word, the rangers had supplied us with virtually silent vehicles to trasnport us to raleigh, cutting down the week's journey to a few hours. Even so, they stopped a few miles out, letting us hike during dawn to cut down our chances of being seen.

"Delta, I am in position." That was Julie. She had the closer point and I had to hike around for my own spot. Instead of Julie and I going together as a sniper and spotter, Gator had made us both snipers and sent a spotter with Julie. Saphir had forced his way with me as my own spotter, but for some odd reason, no one argued with him. So that left me with a moody dragon hiking behind me, though he was quiet enough. I slipped through the rocky craigs, looking for a secluded spot.

Finally, I found one. It was a rock overhand, giving me a full view of the dragons in front of me. It also had an easy esacpe route, for when I would have to haul ass to the river to wash off the scent of gunpowder. It also had a slight roof, covering me from any flying dragons, unless they were looking closely. I dropped to the ground and began to set up my gun stand, which would balance my sniper rifle for the long shot I was going to take. Saphir stepped over me and took the rock wall side, giving me a clear shot to the escape route. I set up my gun and ammunition the way I always did, then adjusted my scope.

"It's a shame we gotta leave the guns behind," I muttered.

"Such a waste," Julie agreed.

"Cut the chatter, you two," Gator admonished. "Jessi?"

"In position, boss, and awaiting orders."

"Sanglant's nest is in the center of the playground. His mate is always with him. Genis is the dragon with green markings on his head."

"I have target one and two in my sight. Acquiring target three," I said, searching for the dragon.

"I have target three. He's flying above the nest," said Julie.

"Julie, you will take target three. Jessi, you have target one and two."

"Roger, delta," we chorused. After that we turned down our radios and I began to fixate on the two dragons.

"Who would hesitate the most if the mate died?" I asked Saphir quickly.

"Sanglant," he replied with no hesitation.

"On my mark," Gator's voice came through. "In three....two....one....you have permission to fire." As our countdown was released, Julie's and I's shot rang out at nearly the same time, causing two dragons to drop the the ground, dead. Just like Saphir had said, Sanglant stared at his dead mate long enough for me to zoom in on him. As he rose to go to flight, I shot him in the head, causing him to roar with rage before he died.

"Target one and two down! Requesting permission to relocate!"

"Approved, Jessi-"

"Target three down!"

"Go, Julie," Gator said, beating her to her question. Both of us dropped our rifles, and basically ran like the demons of hell were chasing us. I ran through the forest as quietly as possible and Saphir ran beside me, effortlessly making no noise. I heard the roar of dragons and the furious beating of wings and knew I wasn't going to make it in time. Saphir must have as well because he grabbed my wrist and literally threw me onto his back, taking off beyond the speed of normal humans.

"Hold your breath, dragon killer!" I barely caught the words as they whipped past me and I frowned.

"Why?" It was then that I spotted the raging river up ahead. "Oh, Saphir, don't you dare, I can't swim that well-"

"Hold your breath." Having no other choice, I gulped in a breath of fresh air, squeezed my eyes closed, and clung to Saphir as if my life depended on it. I felt the moment as he launched himself into the air, then the bone chilling cold of the river as we plunged into it. I felt my heart stop and I nearly let go of Saphir, but he grabbed both of my arms with one hand and stroked with the other, bringing us downriver and away from the dragons. I held my breath for as long as I could, but I tapped his shoulder. He swum up and I gulped in more air, then he plunged back into the river once again.

Almost five minutes later, we climbed out of the river...well, he carried my shaking body out of the river, and we both collapsed between two boulders. The slight overhang of rock covered us from ariel recon and the gunfire scent was washed off in the river, leaving me cold and shaky, but safe. I was breathing hard and shaking, but Saphir seemed fine. Curse his dratted dragon blood and all of its benefits.

"You did well, dragonkiller," he said, wrapping an arm around me, giving me his warmth.

"Better watch it, Saphir. You'll be complimenting me, soon."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he said, nestling into the rock. The Rangers would be here to pick us up eventually. Hopefully sooner than later.


	6. Chapter 6

"Where are your people, dragon killer?" Saphir asked, watching the skies carefully for any of his kind. Dawn was giving way to morning, and it was dangerous for any vehicles to be outside once dawn broke. The dragons would be looking for revenge of their leader, and any human would suffice for their rage.

"Gator, what's your ETA?"

"ETA's one minute and closing. We have a lock on your gps."

"And Julie?"

"Already picked up. We'll be there momentarily."

"Wilco. Jessi out." I turned to Saphir and sent a smirk his way. "They're that far away," I answered, knowing he had heard our conversation.

"Your humans must hurry. My sight is getting better already."

"Well, that's not a good thing," I quipped, rubbing my shivering arms, trying to get warmth back into my body.

"I hear the humans. Get up." Even as he dictated the command, he yanked me to my feet and literally carried me out of our cover. With only one arm snaked around my waist, he began to run for the truck only he could hear, making me close my eyes and wish he would go slower. Soon, I could hear the truck as well, and a few seconds later, Saphir leapt and landed in the tuck. Gator, who was driving, already began to turn and as soon as Saphir landed, Gator slammed on the gas.

"You all right?" Gator asked, weaving in and out of the trees.

"Just dandy!" I called back over the wind. I huddled into the top corner of the truck bed and tried to curl myself up into a ball, preserving the little of my body heat I had left.

"Just a few minutes and we'll make it to base. Hold on."

"Well, now that you say that Gator, I'll be sure to try. Not that I was trying to preserve heat before, but thanks for that."

"If I could hit a woman, it would be you."

"Oh, romance me with small talk," I shot back, my teeth starting to chatter. Luckily for me, Saphir knelt and gathered me into his arms, sharing his own body heat. I didn't know what put him in such a good mood to help me, but I sure as hell wasn't going to complain.

"Balls to the wall, boys!" Gator called out.

"Oh shit, Gator, don't-" He gassed the truck even more and we shot forward. My heart leapt and I clung to Saphir, knowing what was coming.

"What is it, dra-"

"A jump!" I called back, closing my eyes and praying for safety. I felt the moment we hit the ramp and I felt my stomach drop to my toes as we sailed through the air. The few seconds we were airborne seemed like an eternity and I clutched Saphir in fright. I was never okay with flying and I hated heights, but if I got through this, I was going to kill Gator. Finally, the tires hit the ground and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"You okay?" Gator asked, narrowly missing a tree. Before I could answer, I heard Saphir hiss and I looked up at him, then flinched. All of his eyes were red and the pupil was a startling contrast of green, which gave him a slight cat eye effect. He dumped me to the ground in a heap and before I could complain, he leapt from the truck and into the sky. I saw his skin and bone begin to reform, and as Gator drove away, I saw him completely change into a dragon. The sight made my mouth dry as I remembered the rage he exhibited when I killed his friends, but he collided with another dragon.

"Saphir's covering us!" I managed to yell, my eyes glued to the fight behind us. Gator, however, kept on driving and my view of Saphir was cut off.

"We've been spotted?" Gator asked.

"Yeah, but Saphir's got us!"

"You trust that dragon with our lives?" he asked. Without hesitation, I nodded.

"He gave us his word!" I could tell that Gator wasn't convinced and I continued. "But if that doesn't help, I still owe him big time! So he's gonna keep me alive!" I heard him laugh from the front seat and I crawled back into my corner.

"Now that I believe!" With that, the truck skidded to a halt, and I peeked my head out to look around. "Come on, we swim the rest of the way."

"Oh you son of a bitch." He tossed a flask to me and I caught it.

"Drink up." With an efficiancy that I even admired, Gator began to cover the truck with various cover, most military issued. I opened the flask and sniffed, now aware that it was hard liquor contained inside. With a inward shrug, I drank a sip and coughed. The stuff was definately strong. After the coughs subsided, I drank another sip, now prepared for the bite, and I was rewarded with a warmth in my stomach. Gator, who finally finished the truck's cover, held out his hand. I tossed the flask to him and then walked into the water. The cold was seeping into my very bones, but the liquor was combating the cold, keeping me functioning.

"We ready?" I asked as Gator waded in beside me.

"Keep underwater as much as possible, but don't strain your breath. If you get caught in hydrolics, you have to have enough air to survive. Stick away from the center of the river but don't get too close to shore. Got it?" I nodded and we both dove into the water, the swift current carrying us far downstream. Every couple of strokes, I swam to the surface of the water for breath. Finally, Gator pulled me to shore and I followed him, gratefully climbing out of the river.

"What now?" I asked, now spotting the waterfall in the distance.

"We climb down."

"God I wish Saphir was here," I muttered. "He could carry my ass down."

"You are one lazy soldier, you know that?" Gator asked, walking away from the waterfall and deeper into the forest. "I thought I taught you better."

"You didn't teach me not to be lazy," I answered, jumping down a small drop in our path. "You taught me to be sneaky so I could be lazy."

"That's bullshit and you know it," he muttered, coming to the hard part in our journey. The trail now sloped downwards, the path now lined with mere tree roots to stop us if we fell. The dirt wasn't packed either, so a fall was likely to occur if we weren't careful. "Step careful here and grab the roots. If you fall, I'm not catching you."

"I'm just drowning in love," i muttered as Gator turned and began to climb down. He didn't deign my retort with his own and I began to concentrate on climbing. Fortunately for us, we made it down with litle diffuculty...if you call dirt in Gator's eye not difficult. "What about Saphir?" I asked as Gator began to walk in the waterfall. He stopped and turned to me, his face unreadable.

"I thought you'd be happy to rid yourself of the dragon. What are you so worried about?"

"Dragon or not, he saved both of our lives back there. If he hadn't fought that one dragon, we could have been killed or seriously wounded." Gator began to speak, but the flap of dragon wings ruined our conversation. I jumped into the water and Gator pulled me into the cave behind the enormous waterfall. After I had crawled inside, I heard a giant splash and pulled the small pistol from my boot. It was puny defense for a dragon, but it was something.

"If you shoot me dragon killer, I'll be forced to kill you."

"Saphir?" I asked, hope lined in my voice. The dragon poked his head through the waterfall and began to morph into the human I knew. "How did you find us?"

"I know your scent," he said simply as he followed us into the cave. Gator sent me a glance and our eyes locked as I tried to gauge what he was trying to tell me. Yet, his face was unreadable and he turned away from me, leaving me to follow. Somehow, I felt as if I failed some sort of test but I followed my friend regardless. Once we entered the base, I saw that only a few soldiers were inside and noticed the cave was signifigantly smaller than the other base we had been to.

"Julie!" Gator called. I saw a head pop up from a blanket and she sent a smile Gator's way.

"Yo," she said simply. As I saw Julie in the blanket, I realized how cold was and dashed over to Julie, tucking myself into the covers. Even though I was wet, Julie was as well, and we held each other close for warmth.

"I want to congratulate everyone on a job well done," Gator stated to the people around the cave. A few cheers broke out, but it was quieter than when the job first began. "We have enough food for a while, but we'll stay here for a few days. Jessi, Julie-"

"Yea boss?" Julie interruped cheekily.

"We'll part ways here. It was a pleasure working with both of you." I felt Julie's confusion and I felt a pang of sadness, but I knew it was a sensible idea. It was time we got back to the mountains, back to the dense forests where we knew our way.

"Same here," I said, my voice muffled by the blanket. "Thanks for helping us, Gator." I heard him walk over to us, and he tousled my wet hair.

"Anything for you. Now we have some dry clothes, but there's nowhere to change." At that, my head popped out and I glared at Gator, ignoring the fact that he was right.

"You're not serious," I stated, not wanting to believe him.

"Oh, but I am. Do you see anywhere where you two could change?"

"Fine. Where's our clothes?" Julie asked, a fire in her eyes. Her temper was easy to ignite, and Gator's smirk was enough to set it off. Gator dropped two bundles on top of the blanket and a lecherous smile crept onto his face. Every man in the vicinity was staring at us, even though some were trying to act inconspicuous about it. We both stood and I grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around Julie, my arms reaching the wall, blocking the view of her changing.

Julie smiled in appreciation before stripping her outisde clothes and changing into the new ones. Once she was done, she took the blanket, smirking at the dissapointed faces around the cave, and draped it around me. I quickly took off my shirt and threw it at Gator, who was also watching without shame, and he caught it just before it hit his face. I took off my pants and finally donned my new clothes, feeling warmer already. Once I was done, Julie dropped the blanket and we both mock saluted Gator.

"What a waste," he sighed, dissapointed. "We'll part ways in the morning." Both Julie and I nodded, grateful for his help. We both understood where he was coming from; you wouldn't want to shelter a group of wanted criminals for long. Both of us settled back into the blanket and I laid my head on Julie's shoulder, glad for the warmth.

************

"Why do we have to go in the morning...why?" Gator, who was currently driving the truck, grinned at Julie, who was riding shotgun.

"Because sweetheart, it's the best time to move." He flicked her nose and I snickered as she sent him a glare. Gator, who was never ruffled, simply threw his arm over her shoulder.

"Where are you going to drop us off?" I yelled out. I was stuck in the back of the truck with a few of the soldiers, and of course, Saphir. He had stuck beside me most of last night and I had seen the extensive injuries he suffered. I knew better than to treat him in front of all the "humans" as he disdainfully called them, but once we split up, I was going to treat him.

"A few miles away from where we picked you up. You might want to lay low for a while."

"Yeah, we planned on it, Gator."

"Don't be sarcastic with me, I was just giving you advice."

"Stupid advice," Julie interjected, exasperated with the man beside of her. Gator's somber expression turned back into a grin and I realized that he didn't just like Julie. He _liked _Julie.

As Julie smiled slightly at Gator, I saw the happiness she was trying so hard to hide and I felt a pang inside of me. Why should I take her away from here? She'd be safe with Gator and surrounded by men and women that would protect her. I knew she missed people, even though she didn't say anything, and this would be a good place for her.

Yet, on the other hand, I was selfish. I wanted her by my side, fighting, laughing, and leading the group around us. She was a great asset and a exceptional fighter, and most of all, she was my sister. I couldn't bear to lose her like I had Mom, Dad, or my brother. Most of all, I wanted her safe, and she had been at my side. But now...I just didn't know.

Saphir, who was getting in tune with my moods, turned to me, his eyes trying to pry into my thoughts. I turned away from him, sparing him my usual glare, and tried to just stop thinking. Losing Julie was a huge shock to my system, but...wasn't I just blowing this out of proportion? It was her choice, after all. She didn't owe Saphir a debt, like I did. I ran a hand through my hair and cursed when Gator hit a large pothole n the ground.

"Gator, watch where you're driving!" I muttered, rubbing the sore spot on the back of my head.

"Then you drive!" he called back, still focusing mostly on Julie.

"You wouldn't trust me with your truck!" I called back, but I just wasn't into the byplay as I usually was.

"Damn straight!" I just sighed and didn't respond. What was I going to do? What would be best for Julie?

************

All too soon, we stopped and all of us hopped out. We spotted our trusty bikes by two soldiers, both armed. They both saluted Gator and he just grinned at them.

"This is where we part," he said, his eyes straying to Julie. As soon as he saw her, he looked away and I saw him slip into soldier mode. It was a protection against the pain and I felt my own sorrow for him.

"Hey Julie, come here." She did as she was told and I leaned over to her ear. "You don't have to leave."

"But-"

"You can stay with Gator...but only for a while. I still need to repay my debt to Saphir, but you don't owe him anything. I'll get it done and come back to get you."

"I want to go with you!"

"Yeah, but Gator's here." She didn't bother to deny the attraction, and for that, I was grateful. It cut down on the argument time. "And I want you to be happy. You'll be safe with him and content, even if just for a while. Most people don't get that chance." She was silent and somber for once, debating her decision. She looked to Gator, then back to me, and her chin lifted a notch.

"I've made my decision," she stated, looking dead into my eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

"I've made my decision," Julie stated, looking dead into my eyes. "I want to go with you."

I looked at her, and saw the slight glance Gator sent her way, and straightened to my full height. This would be the hardest moment of my life, but it needed to be done. She would be safe with the Rangers. She wouldn't be hurt, and she would be given food, ammunition, and shelter. They were the last bastion of the nonexistent human army, and Julie would probably enhance their group.

"Saphir," I whispered, knowing he could hear me. He turned to watch me, his eyes piercing. "Take me. Only me."

"Are you sure of this, pathetic dragon killer? I will not comfort you and if you cry, I'll kill you."

"I am." I looked at Julie, who looked deep into my eyes and saw the unwavering resolve of a decision finally made. In reaction, tears pooled in her eyes and slowly began to slide down her face. I wanted to reach out and comfort her, to assure her everything was going to be just fine, but I knew that if I did, my own control would slip.

"Julie, I love you. You take good care of Gator, you hear?" Gator's gaze whipped to me, hot and angry.

"You're going to go off with this dragon alone?" he snarled. "Where's your common sense? He'll kill you!"

"Probably," I acknowledged. "I did kill his clan. And that's why Julie will stay with you. I expect her to be in one piece when I get back, Gator. Mentor or not, she gets hurt, you die."

Gator stiffened, but bit back any retorts he could have made. Saphir was bristling beside of me, the prospect of losing his new killing pet a waste he couldn't afford. Even though we were armed to the teeth, a fight between a dragon and human was never a good thing. Saphir might die, but then again, he would take down more lives than Gator wanted in the process. The soldier in Gator was warring with the man, but I knew who would win. One life versus five or more. It was a choice easily seen, but not easily made.

"I don't agree with this," Gator began slowly. "I won't lie to you. I think you're out of your god damned mind. But I want you back in one piece."

I nodded, accepting his words for what they were. _'You're an idiot, but Godspeed.'_ From Gator, it would have to be enough. The soldier would always outrank the man, and I understood and accepted it.

"Wilco. Take care, Julie. I expect to see you master a real rocket launcher when I get back. Not some outdated series."

Julie nodded, not bothering to hide the tears flowing down her face, but Gator did what I could not. He threw an arm around her, though he didn't bring her to his side. He let her stand independently for my departure.

"She's in good hands," Gator stated, his own eyes betraying his pain.

"I know." It was simple parting words, but Saphir had enough of our talking. He transformed, startling most of the soldiers into battle positions, but none of the rifles fired. It showed good testament to their training; Gator had probably killed the happy trigger finger habit early on for this type of situation.

Saphir's claw wrapped around me, and I closed my eyes in misery. Why did we always have to fly everywhere? Why couldn't we just walk? Oh, I knew why. He wanted distance in between us and the Rangers, even though we'd be exposed to the furious Raleigh dragons. It was a risk apparently he deemed worthy to take, but I didn't dare complain. I wanted as smooth of a ride as he would give me.

"Be careful!" Julie finally called out as we took to the air. Even over the furious beating of Saphir's wings, I heard her desperate plea, and I saluted her with a smile. Maybe it would take a while, but she would be happy with the Rangers. She would have to be.

*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*

We flew for hours before we finally began our descent. I was weary from the flight and from holding back motion sickness, and I looked forward to finally having my feet on the ground once more. Saphir landed awkwardly, doing his best not to crush me, and as he released me, I let myself flop onto the ground, uncaring of the dirt beneath me.

"Sweet, sweet earth," I muttered, relishing the sensation of actually not feeling as if I were going to puke, and Saphir walked into my vision.

"Get up, dragon killer. Get your food."

"A minute, I swear." I had to let myself settle before I even tried to move. My waist literally ached from where I had been held, and I wouldn't doubt if bruises would start appearing by tomorrow morning.

"Humph. Weak humans." I didn't bother to try to deny his statement. Dragons were stronger, faster, and the more dominant species than humans could ever hope to become. Sure, they had their weaknesses, but they wiped out earth's population until only a few pockets of humans remained. That showed ultimate power, did it not?

"All right," I said a moment later. "I'm up." I pushed myself up, wincing at the pain in my middle, but said nothing. I would try to pull my weight with Saphir, and I wouldn't complain. An irritated Saphir was more likely to hurt me more than a normal Saphir.

Now, I dislodged my pack and threw it to the ground, fishing out a small battle rifle. Sure, it wasn't the best for hunting, but it would have to do. I wasn't going to wait and set a trap for a rabbit. I was hungry, and if Saphir didn't find himself some food, I was sure he would take some of mine. So that meant….deer. Or a few deer.

I began to make my way into the forest, leaving Saphir behind me, and looked at the grounds for signs of any wildlife in the area. A few paces later, I saw traces of rabbit leavings, and I grunted. I wasn't going to hunt rabbits. Freaking seriously. So I kept walking, taking note of where I was in relation to my campsite, and finally came across deer tracks. Score.

Since humans had been annihilated, the wildlife had multiplied by hundred fold. Deer were easy pickings in any part of North Carolina, as well as bear, if you had no other choice. It was good for us, but still a pain to bring down a deer without grabbing the attention of a dragon.

I stopped suddenly and knelt, bringing the rifle to arms, and looked down the sight at the rustling of leaves down the way. I waited patiently, not making a sound and keeping my breathing light. A few minutes passed, but I kept my silent vigil as I had been taught. For hours I could keep still, courtesy of Gator, and it came in handy when hunting. Less bullets used and less chance of getting caught.

Finally, the deer came into the open and instead of taking the first shot, I watched as it walked forward, nibbling at a patch of grass in between piles of leaves, and finally, it turned sideways at it reached for the next patch, exposing the prime position at its shoulder.

"Bingo," I muttered as I pulled the trigger. A few rounds later, the deer keeled over, and I rose and placed my gun on my back in one fluid motion. I reached the deer and pulled out my knife, swiftly slitting its throat. Sometimes they survived a few minutes, and I didn't want to put it through any unnecessary agony.

Now, I looked around, up to the few patches of sky I could see through the leaves, and saw nothing. There was no sense of danger, nor did I see any sign of a dragon, so I bent down and swung the deer over my shoulders. It landed hard and I grunted at the pain in my middle, but mostly ignored it. This wouldn't be a pleasant couple of days, but I was sure we wouldn't fly for a long while. Way too risky and we had put more distance than I thought we would between the Rangers and us.

"I see you're not completely useless." My eyes whirled to see Saphir standing casually where I had come from, his hands in his pockets. However, his shirt was gone, and my eye twitched.

"Where the hell is your shirt?" I growled out.

"A bear ripped it." Again, my eye twitched and I was acutely aware of the mere deer I had bagged.

"And when did this happen?"

"A few minutes ago. I've been waiting for you back at camp." By his smirk, I knew he was laughing at my pathetic trophy compared to his, and I glared.

"I'm glad you're enjoying this." Now his smirk widened.

"Want me to carry that for you? Your pathetic human self can only handle so much at once."

"Go fuck yourself," I muttered under my breath, brushing past him to go towards the camp. I heard his dark laughter behind me, but instead of antagonizing me farther, he caught up and walked beside of me.

"Give me the deer." He yanked and I gripped tighter, although my grip wasn't as strong as it should have been. The injury to my middle kept me from yanking back properly.

"It's my kill, I'll dress it, thank you _very_ much."

"Give it to me, human." When I didn't comply, he rapped my side with his knuckles, and pure white exploded in my vision as I fell to the ground, clutching my hurt side. I gasped through the pain, barely registering the weight of the deer being lifted off of me, and tried to ride the wave as easily as possible. Saphir, however, kept walking, the deer slung over one shoulder, and I glared.

"Doesn't have to fucking rub it in. I know I'm hurt, and it's his damn fault. Fuck that." Yeah, I was angry. I was downright furious. And noting the way I would probably verbally attack him, or god forbid punch him and make him really angry, I opted for the coward's way out. I stayed where I was, even when the pain finally ebbed.

He disappeared from view and I sat down, refusing to move until I cooled off. Angry Saphir was a no no. I had to keep him somewhat tolerant of me, no matter the cost to my own wish to pummel him into the ground. But still, that was a dick move. He didn't have to strip me of my pride, nor did he have to show exactly how weak and hurt I was compared to him.

"Bastard," I swore angrily, slamming my fist into the ground beside of me, through the shock of the force did irritate my injuries. The pain only fueled my anger, even though I knew it was pointless to get angry. I couldn't act on it, I couldn't spar it out, and I couldn't take it out on….Julie. She was gone. She wouldn't be here to diffuse my anger to draw Saphir's attention away from me. God, it had only been a few hours and I was already missing her terribly.

I knew my irritation with Saphir stemmed from this as well. He was the reason I had to be separated from her in the first place, and he was the reason I was hurt. If not for him, I'd be with my human group, living off the land and avoiding all dragons entirely. My life would be normal, I'd be free, and I'd be happy. But I wasn't going to feel that way for a long time, if Saphir even decided to let me go.

As if the heavens read my mind, it began to rain softly, picking up strength after minutes passed. I didn't move; I sat on the ground and turned my face up to the rain. Instead of depressing me, as it would most other people, I felt as if it was washing away my sins and anger, calming me. It would cover the scent of my kill and the food we were going to cook. This was the only time you could cook the food over a campfire and get away with it. The rain washed away the scent and the smoke, and kept dragons at bay for at least the duration of the storm.

"Are you coming back yet, dragon killer, or must I carry you back?" His patronizing tone immediately put me on my guard, and I felt my body stiffen in response. My anger renewed, I shut my mouth and tried to calm back down.

"I can smell your anger," he pointed out. "It's useless to try to hide it from me."

"Then you know damn well why I haven't come back. I'm angry, not stupid." I heard him 'humph' and figured he would leave, but his hands clamped on my shoulders. On instinct, I began to bring my feet up to attack him, but he blocked my kick with his forearm.

"You do have good instincts for a human," he admitted. "But you will not prevail against me in a fight."

"I wasn't trying to," I snapped back. "You said it yourself. Instinct. Now leave me alone until I can calm back down."

"You were calm before I made myself known." His tone was completely devoid of any malice or derision, and it made me stop and focus on his words. What was he really trying to tell me? "Your anger at me will not go away because you try to calm yourself. Don't be stupid."

"It doesn't help that you fucking insult me at every turn," I snapped back, my irritation at him mounting. "Civility doesn't take much effort, you know."

"I will not treat a mere human as an equal," he stated calmly, but his hands kept their place on my shoulder, and strangely, my chest was starting to feel better.

"I never said that!" I finally yelled, losing what little control I had over my temper. I got up, whirled, and took a step away from him. "I will not be treated like a fucking leper! Treat me as you would a lesser dragon!" His eyes widened a fraction. Barely noticeable, but I knew he was surprised. "Not a human. I killed Sanglat. I killed his mate and Genis. I am valuable to you, and I will not be treated as dead weight!" My tirade finally done, I glared at him with all the loathing I could possible muster, my chest heaving with the passion of my words, and my body ready to do battle. He would attack me for my insubordination, I knew.

"You know of dragon clans," he stated calmly. I didn't fall for the ruse. I kept up my guard, ready to defend to the death if need be. "Then how would I treat a lesser ranked dragon?"

"With fucking civility! You wouldn't insult him as you do me, nor would you belittle him as you do me. He is a dragon and deserving of some respect in your station!" Now, I was speaking of myself and the hypothetical dragon, trying to impart my point on Saphir. "His hunt is his only. You wouldn't dare touch his food. You wouldn't deliberately hurt him unless he was trying to pull rank and needed to be put back in his place."

Now, Saphir threw back his head and laughed, and I stiffened. The hell was he laughing about?

"A human you are, but you know more of dragon rules than most half breeds, I'll give you that. And yes, that's how I would treat a dragon." He eyed me, noting the anger and hostile stance, and smirked. "You may be weak, but even a kitten has claws, no? Come, human. I have accepted you as my pet until you pay back your life debt."

"The hell do you mean, pet?" I growled out.

"Exactly as it sounds. You are my pet. I will care for you, but in return, you must obey me. I will treat you as you wish, human. It is a small allowance on my part. You know who is the stronger and dominant between us."

My fists clenched at my sides, but I still realized this was the best I was going to get from him. My anger didn't spark his own; he allowed my small rebellion and even seemed to laugh over it. It probably was hilarious to him. I couldn't do a damn thing to him, but I still jumped down his throat when he pushed the right buttons, asking for a beating.

"I wasn't trying to be dominant," I managed to say.

"I know," he stated simply. "Come, dragon killer. Dress your kill as you wish. I have already eaten." Now, I bristled.

"You're still a dick," I muttered.

"Mine's still bigger than yours," he replied smoothly as he turned to lead the way back to camp. The double pun caused me to deadpan, completely taken off guard. Dragons actually made penis jokes? What was this world coming to?

I sighed but dutifully followed him a few yards back, not trying to crowd him, but not trying to put too much distance between us either. Of course, that was just habit. Too close to a dragon and they'd kill you with claws. Too far from a dragon and they could transform before you got to them. A lesson learned early in life, and with more of a mark than I cared to admit.

"Dragon killer, how many dragons have you killed?"

"Only the ones that attack me," I answered back vaguely. There were many I had killed over the years, and it was higher than my own age.

"Dually noted, dragon killer. How many?"

"Twenty-three." Including his fallen comrades. I didn't say the last part, but I was sure he knew I included their count.

"That is a good count, for a human." Now, I looked at him strangely. He was…complimenting me. Not a subtle comment, but an actual I'm-impressed-by-this comment. Sensing my confusion, he clarified. "A master must be proud of their pet, of course. Don't assume that I will always be, what did you say, a bastard at all times."

"How long were you even there?" I asked, slightly embarrassed. Did he have to see my entire temper tantrum?

"Long enough. Were your kills pureblood or halfbreeds?"

"Mostly pureblood. They're the ones that attack most often. My group had orders not to engage halfbreeds unless attacked first."

"And if they were in dragon form?" he asked, probably referring to how we met.

"An attacking dragon is the same to us. Life or death, capture or freedom. You choose what you would do." He actually thought about it, and I saw him nod.

"I see your point, human. If I was attacked, I would defend myself, no matter who was stupid enough to attack." I didn't say anything to that; I let him have the option to continue or not. I wasn't going to push him when he was being this agreeable.

"How many humans?" I asked curiously, half wanting to know, and the other half dreading the answer.

"I don't know. Humans seem to blur together after a while. Nothing rememberable about any of them. Just pathetic humans seeking their next trophy." I could understand that. When the dragons first began their reign of terror, many of us tried to kill them. Gloryhunters, true hunters looking for a challenging kill, and the plain idiots. All of them went to hunt the dragons, and only a few ever returned.

"I know. Most of us were idiots."

"What do you mean were, dragon killer?" I glared at his back, and he cast a smirk back at me.

"Darwinism is still in progress," I snapped back. "Not all of us are idiots."

"What is this Darwinism?" Saphir asked as we entered the camp.

"You don't-"

"I do not make it a point to learn pointless human culture references." His curt answer made me blush, and I grabbed a knife from my boot and began to skin and clean my deer.

"Darwin was the father of 'survival of the fittest'. You probably would like him."

"He seems wise," Saphir agreed with a toothy grin. I watched longer than I should have, surprised by the first true smile I'd ever seen him do, then looked back to my kill.

"He went to some islands and studied the bird population, I think. He then concluded that the birds not suited for the particular climate or for their habitat died. Same goes for humans. Humans who are idiots and can't adapt get weeded out. The ones that are smart enough _not_ to attack a pureblood dragon on purpose live on."

"Truer words never spoken," he agreed, stretching out against a fallen tree and placing his hands behind his head. "What other things do humans say of dragons?" I blinked at him, not used to this conversational side of him, but I wasn't going to complain. The easier he was on my hurt body, the better…even if it was a tad bit odd.

"You want the legends or the actual facts?"

"How are we legends? We're here and real. We wiped out your major nests. How are we legends?"

"Before we found the egg," I said, rolling my eyes. "There were legends of dragons. That's what I was referring to."

"And what did they say?"

"Which culture and which type of dragon?" I asked with my own smirk. "There were many legends. Each culture had their own type of the legend and their own style of dragon. For instance, the Chinese differentiated between the Welsh. The Welsh was different from the American dragon."

"Humph. Amusing. At least we were properly feared."

"Until we found the first egg, there were no dragons. Yes, there were legends, but no one was afraid. You didn't _exist_."

Saphir was quiet, digesting my words, and I finally began to try to find dry wood to start the campfire. Saphir saw me looking and guessed what I wanted, seeing as he sighed with resignation.

"Pathetic human. Get back."

"Why-"

With that, he sat up, took a deep breath, and aimed toward my deer. Fire flew from his mouth towards me, and I scrambled away with a yelp and a cry of pain. I barely escaped the flames as they torched the deer, but thankfully I wasn't burned anywhere.

"Mother fucker!" I cried out, holding my pounding heart. Sure, I had seen dragons breath fire. Sure they had been aimed at me. But never that close and never when I had my guard so low.

"There. One cooked deer for your human stomach."

I glared at the offending dragon, who merely shifted to make himself comfortable again while he burped out a ring of smoke, probably on purpose. Glaring at him, I got to my feet and went back to the deer, only to find the outside burnt. I growled and began to clean my kill _again_, hating every second of it. I was hungry and I just wanted some damn food. But as I cleaned it, I saw that the meat on the inside was almost perfectly cooked, and I just sagged. I was going to have to thank him.

"Thank you," I ground out, still not the happiest about having to clean my kill twice.

"You're welcome, dragon killer." By the smugness in his voice, he loved every second of harassing me.

I began to eat, savoring the flavor of cooked meat, and tried to relax my aching stomach. My body was ready to simply collapse; the pain and the toll of it had been beyond harsh. Now, Saphir got to his feet and trudged over to me. I eyed the shirtless dragon warily, my hand instinctively on my knife, and he smirked.

"You wouldn't be able to hurt me with that in your current condition."

"Don't make challenges you don't want followed through," I countered, causing him to chuckle darkly.

"You wouldn't, human. Nor would you like the consequences. Here." He reached out and my grip on the knife tightened, causing him to stop and stare at me, as if he was thinking about something. A few seconds passed, then he finally blinked and kept his face neutral.

"You, dragon killer, are more of an animal than human." I went to interrupt and insult him, but he kept speaking. "You are hurt and instead of seeing to your wounds, you would rather fight to the death. An animal trait if I've ever seen one."

"I am not forgetting about dressing my wounds! I haven't had the time!"

"Then do it now, human."

"That would require me shirtless, and I'm damn well not going to strip in front of you." It was true. I would have to bind my whole chest and stomach to keep the pressure constant enough for my wounds to heal and be supported, and I wasn't comfortable enough around Saphir to even let go of my knife nor to divest myself of the weapons hidden on my chest.

"Then what to do, human? Suffer, or allow me to help you?" I opened my mouth to speak, but his hand shot out to cover my mouth. "Thought so. Now, seeing as you are my human pet-" I spat out muffled curses at him from behind his hand, which he only grinned to. "And seeing as how you are supposed to be useful to me, I will heal you. I will need you to kill another one of us soon, and you must be ready to flee after you accomplish this."

With that, he lifted his hand, and even though my eyes were spitting angry, I wisely kept my mouth shut, and he nodded in satisfaction at my self control. Now, he knelt as he straddled my legs, and placed his hands onto my stomach. Warmth began to spread from the contact and the pain began to dim, and now I stared dumbly down at his hands.

"I didn't know purebloods had healing abilities," I stated in awe. "No one has ever told me of this. Ewan couldn't even do it."

"Of course a halfbreed couldn't. This is a pureblood magic and I'm damn well sure a measly halfbreed couldn't ever begin to try to master this technique."

Already I could feel no pain, and I touched my chest softly as an experiment. When I felt little to no pain, I finally relaxed a few degrees and allowed him to finish whatever he was doing.

"It feels better," I admitted.

"Of course it does," he immediately answered back. His arrogance was almost laughable by this point, but I didn't dare let him see my amusement. "There, human. How do you feel?"

"Much better. I don't feel any pain at all."

Now he rose in one fluid movement and padded over to my backpack. I quirked an eye as he rifled through my things, but he didn't seem to be in a snarky mood, so I allowed the action. He finally pulled out a shirt that was too big for me and lifted it over his head and finally covered his bare chest.

"A good fit except it reeks of you."

"No shit," I commented dryly. "It is _my_ shirt after all. Who do you think it's going to smell like?"

"I never said it smelled. I said it reeks of you."

"And what's the difference?" I asked, exasperated with his wording.

"You do not smell. It just has your scent on it."

Now I understood. It smelled like me, though it didn't actually smell bad. A dragon's sense of smell was very acute, and since he had been around me for so long, he knew my scent through and through. He could find me almost anywhere I tried to hide, since he knew my true scent.

"Do you want it or do you not?" He spared me a quick glare before walking back to his designated spot. "So do we camp here?" I asked curiously. It wouldn't be my first miserable night in the rain, nor would it be the last.

"No. Now that you've eaten, we'll be going to a nearby house."

"What do you smell? Humans?" I asked. "That might not be wise, you know. Dragons may be residing somewhere close and-"

"You seem to fail to grasp the concept that I myself am a respected dragon of the highest caliber. I can go anywhere and not have any complaints. You, human, will only be alive because you are my pet. Now, you can sleep here in the wet earth, or you can allow yourself the luxury of a warm and dry bed. Your choice, human?"

"You know what I'd chose."

"Then let us go."

I sighed, but held back my many objections. Saphir had the best time to fly; the rain washed away scent and lowered range of sight, letting many dragons travel in relative secrecy. I was going to be very sick, miserable, and probably bruised once more, but a warm bed. I hadn't slept in an actual bed in years, since the risk was far too great compared to personal luxury.


	8. Chapter 8

Any humans that lived in houses were pampered beyond reason.

It was the first thought as I first spotted the behemoth. The house spanned probably a mile by a mile; I could see various humans around the complex, which meant this was a dragon nest. Uneasily I looked up at the dragon carrying me, but he spared not even a glance at me. God, I was terrified. These dragons were my _enemies_. They tried to kill me. I tried to kill them. Yet here I was flying into a fortified nest with a pureblood dragon, whose comrades I had killed.

I had never been this afraid before and I knew I was shaking uncontrollably. What would happen to me in this nest? Saphir had said I was his pet, but minds could be changed, and lies could be passed as truth. What if this was to be my execution for harming his pack? Or was this a test I had to pass? I couldn't tell with Saphir.

As we landed, I was tossed to the side like a sack of goods, but I kept my mouth shut. Who was to know if I would be punished for being outspoken here? How did a human pet act to a dragon? I'd never seen the dynamic of a pet before and I had prided myself on knowing almost everything about dragons. Plus, Saphir had convinced me to leave my guns behind, so I was armed with only a few combat knives. Like that was going to help me. Gods I was a fool.

"Get up." I looked up to see Saphir in his human form, looking straight ahead at the other dragons coming to meet him. I searched his face, trying to find a shred of humanity in his gaze, like sympathy or even relief to be with his dragon kin again. Nothing. He was back to his old stoic self; the terror of my nightmares: a pureblood dragon. I scrambled to my feet, my fear increasing.

"Saphir." I looked up to see another dragon standing in front of Saphir. He sported blond hair and blue eyes and looked as if he could pass for a normal human. However, his attitude and even physical stance bellied the fact that he wore arrogance as a second skin, giving him status as a pureblood. No halfbreed could give off this aura of power like a pureblood could.

"Dalriada." As I swapped my gaze from both of them, I realized I couldn't tell who was more dominant of the two. They stared at one another, their gazes unblinking, as if they could communicate without words. Finally, Dalriada touched his forehead, then his heart, a dragon gesture of respect. Saphir simply took this as his due and looked toward me. "My pet will prepare my chambers. Give her to your pets for now."

"As you command, Saphir." With that, he waved a hand, and immediately two beautiful human women flanked me, each of them lightly grasping my arm. They inclined their heads to Dalriada and began to tug me away. I allowed them to do so with only a glance back at Saphir for reassurance. There was nothing.

So in the end, I was dragged into the house, pulled by various dragons who cast interested glances our way, escorted by servants who never looked you in the eye, until finally we entered what seemed to be the most luxurious hallway of the entire house. It was blanketed in what seemed to be gold, lined with precious stones of every variety in the walls, and it just made me feel so out of place. I didn't belong in here, no matter if it was a roof over my head and a comfortable bed to sleep in. Sure, I'd seen a few stones from travels, but they weren't held in high regard. Personally, I'd trade ammo for ammo instead of getting a useless gem.

"This way," the woman on my left finally stated, tugging me into the second room on the left. I dutifully followed her only for my jaw to drop. The place was covered in different cloths and textures, only some of which I knew. I recognized silk, since I had seen a bolt being sold once before, but the rest was beyond my meager comprehension. And like the rest of the house, the decadence of the room alone made me feel horribly dirty and out of place.

"This will be your master's room," the woman on my right stated, her tone even and without any sort of emotion. As I watched her, the rest of her body seemed to match her voice. It was sad and made me want to rescue her, but sometimes, people didn't want to be rescued. "Please arrange it to his desires."

"I don't know them…" I finally spoke up.

"A new pet?" the woman on my left queried rhetorically. "I see. To survive, you must learn how to be meek and humble. When you reach a nest, you will be told to go inside and prepare the room for your master. You will learn their likes and dislikes and prepare accordingly. Bring them what they request, when they request, and you will live. I can see strength in you, but you must rid yourself of this. Do you understand?" By the time she was through with her explanation, I was bristling in indignation that could never be released. I knew well enough that I would have to wait to tear into Saphir, but damn, I wanted to give him a piece of my mind.

"I understand," I forced myself to say.

"We have seen Saphir before, so we know how to prepare this room. For now, we will do it, but you have to rid yourself of that stench. Dragons do not care to smell your scent in this place. We must be seen but unseen. Now go; Alisha will take you to the bathing quarters." The woman on my right nodded to the other and led me out. I was quiet as I mused over this new predicament.

Even though the woman in me rebelled at the prospect of what I would have to pretend to act, the scientist side was in overdrive. So many questions that wouldn't be answered until we left this place…Like, why did the dragons not want to smell a true scent? Wasn't that how they identified each human? But then again, these were servants, meant to serve and pamper. They didn't need names nor anything defining about themselves. Even then, I'd seen hundreds of servants on our way to Saphir's room. Why did they need so many servants? Was there something being built in this house still? I didn't think the dragons would tolerate this many humans at once, but again, this was my first time in a nest.

"What is your name?" Alisha finally asked, sparing a glance at my shoulder instead of my eyes. I didn't force her to look at my face because it would make her uncomfortable, so I accepted it and moved on.

"Jessi."

"I remember what it was like outside of these walls," she admitted, her voice low as he gaze looked for anyone in the great hall we were walking in.

"Really?" I asked, amazed. Her movements were graceful, her step light and dainty, and god knows I wouldn't have ever pegged her as someone to survive out of these walls.

"Yes. The freedom, the bonding of your human packmates-" I quirked an eye over her word usage but she continued, "The hunt for food, everything."

"Do you miss it?" I asked. I wasn't about to complain to someone _finally_ opening up to me, and I wanted any kind of answers I could possibly get.

"I used to, but now…I'm too scared to leave these walls." Oh god, let me not stay here that long. "Plus my master would kill me if I ran and I am provided with everything in the nest. You must play the part, Jessi, if you do not wish to change. I know of your master and he moves constantly, so you will not belong here. Just pretend to be submissive and hide your true scent. You will survive if you do."

"I see," I muttered. "Don't look dragons in the eye…" I trailed off, letting her finish the rules for me.

"You've never played a pet before, have you? It will be difficult at first, then it will come easier for you. Do not look anyone in the eye and hide your scent; these are the two rules that must never be broken. Only speak when spoken to, serve your master to your greatest ability, and I mean give him whatever he asks. Anything he asks." She was glancing at my shoulder again, her face blank, so it took me a few minutes for my face to color as comprehension dawned. "Exactly."

"Saphir…hasn't….asked…" I managed to choke out. Sleep with my enemy? No way!

"He partakes in the servants here. You should be safe for now, but I tell you this for later." A wave of anger rose in my gut at Saphir forcing himself on humans, and Alisha caught it before I could hide it. "No, it is not like that. We are not forced and they treat us properly when they take us. It is pleasant enough."

"You don't have a say in it?"

"Mostly, we don't. But if a dragon sorely mistreats another human servant, they are punished."

"And their human servant?" I pressed.

"It doesn't matter. That is their pet to do with as they wish. Most dragons, when they break in their pet, don't wish to do it again so they treat their pet with some humanity. I've only known one dragon to beat his pets until they died and he's left his nest."

I fell silent as we finally got to the bathing chambers, and of course, my jaw dropped once again. Some sort of cool material lined the floor with tubs of bubbling water lining nearly every square foot of this place.

"What is this stuff?" I asked, bending down and rubbing the floor. It was smooth to the touch and glossy, and seemed to be water resistant.

"It's called marble. You really haven't been to a nest before, have you?" I shook my head.

"I've never seen this before on my travels. Then again, it seems heavy. I wouldn't trade for something as useless as that." Alisha nodded and moved over to bring me back to my feet.

"You must bathe," she stated, and as I looked around, everyone around us was stark naked. Of course, everyone that had traveled with Julie and I had always bathed at once with a sentry on guard duty. It was just easier to watch over everyone that way, even if we all pretended not to look at the opposite sex. Now I stripped myself of my guns, leaving my knives and wires on my person, and ignored the shocked gasp from Alisha.

So in reaction, I stripped and got into the closest pool, which had no one in it and looked back to Alisha. She held out a bar of soap and nodded when I took it. I scrubbed, wincing at the rough texture, but put it to the side when I finished. Next came the shampoo, which was easy enough, and conditioner, which I'd only seen a few times on my travels. Something that softened the hair wasn't much sought after, even if Julie had snuck a bottle when I wasn't looking.

"Here, wear this for now," Alisha said softly, handing me a bundle of clothes when I stepped out of the bath. "We'll wash your other clothes for you." I nodded and dressed quickly, and when I was done, I had to say that I loved the feel of their clothes. They were silk and soft against my skin and also were very breathable compared to my usual garb. However, some of the knives were visible, so before I could be scolded by Alisha, I took off the ones that anyone could see, leaving the hidden ones strapped to my legs. The ones I couldn't use I bundled inside a cape she had given me

"Now we will go to the kitchen and you will prepare your master's meal." I remembered the last thing he had eaten and nearly growled at my irritation. The cocky bastard and his stupid bear.

"How do I prepare it? Do I have to cook it?"

"Oh, no. You must bring it all to your room and arrange it to his desires." God, could dragons do nothing in this place? Pampered, all of them. "Here is the kitchen. You remember the way back to your room?" I nodded. "Good. This food is arranged for anyone to bring back to their masters. Get what you need and what your master wants to eat. I will join you in your room shortly."

"Right." She left, carrying my clothes, and I sighed at the sheer amount of plates in front of me. Some had the same food, but many were different. What did Saphir eat? I had no idea, other than bear meat. I'd never asked, nor had I really paid attention to a dragon's diet. I mean, when their jaws were coming for you, you never asked how they got their sparkling white teeth. So I just grabbed the first plates and began to walk back to my room. I kept my eyes averted as people passed, trying my damndest to keep out of trouble, and finally reached my room. As I entered, plates of food were already strewn across two tables, and I nearly threw the food at the woman inside who eyed me disdainfully.

"Now you bring his food?"

"You told me to bathe."

"Yes. I told you nothing of food for Saphir. Put those back." I bristled with anger at her haughty attitude and whirled from the room, taking the food back. I put them back in the kitchen and stalked back to my room, my anger still not abating by the time I got back. But I knew how to keep it leashed. Mostly.

"Now what?" I asked, hopefully as calm as possible.

"Make your sleeping mat outside of the room."

"Outside?" I managed to choke out. Don't get me wrong, I'd slept on worse than a floor, but it was the principle of the thing that was getting me riled.

"Yes. You will attend to him as he calls for you." I looked down, barely noticeable through the two tables piled with food and saw another bedroll.

"Then who is sleeping there?"

"I am," she stated, a hint of a smirk on her face.

"You are," I repeated, trying to hold onto my anger.

"Yes. I'm his personal attendant for this nest. A dragon gets tired of the same pet all the time, you know."

"And I'm sure he's not tired of having the same pet at this nest now, is he?" I saw my barb had struck, but she quickly composed.

"He requests me when he arrives here, else there would be a new pet in this room. But he has never wanted another; only me." Knowing my anger was at dangerous levels, I whirled and shut the door behind me forcefully. Let the bitch think she'd won this fight. I could kill her in five ways outside of this door and every one of them would make me damn happy.

Instead of killing her, like I really wanted to do at the moment, I grabbed the bedroll and spread it out next to the wall, tucking my weapons underneath the pillow they had given me. The dragons would smell them, but I would put them back when the bitch had left. She would turn them in or get rid of them, and I'd traded a lot for most of these. Her grubby hands weren't touching any of them.

A few minutes later, Alisha arrived at my room, and eyed me sitting against the wall.

"What are you doing? You should be seeing to your master's meal."

"Bitch already took care of it," I muttered. "I swear to god, I'll slit her throat when she sleeps." Alisha sighed and knelt beside of me.

"You and many of the pets at the compound. She believes that she is better than any of us because of the many dragons that prefer her. She caters to their needs and they allow her the privilege of sleeping with them."

"Privilege?" I echoed. "Hah."

"Please, calm down. You will draw unnecessary attention to yourself."

"Then get that bitch out of my quarters so I can sleep inside."

"Unless Saphir orders it, she will not." And since Saphir would probably laugh that I'd gotten stuck outside, that wasn't going to happen, which got me even angrier over my situation.

"Goddamn it, that bitch better-" a hand came down over my mouth and I quieted, but recited a litany of profanities in my head. It made me feel marginally better.

"Please, quiet! Since she is seeing to Saphir, you may eat your meal in the kitchens. Are you hungry?" I nodded reluctantly. "Then come. Let us eat."

So once again, we made our way to the kitchens, but this time, I caught a glance of the dragon that had welcomed Saphir. He eyed me once, caught my gaze, and I saw his gaze darken. I cocked my head, confused, then realized I wasn't supposed to look them in the eyes. Immediately I dropped my gaze and moved on with Alisha, who never suspected anything.

*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*

I had brought my meal back to my bedroll, where I ate in relative silence. This was not worth it; I wanted to leave this place and never return. I could admit, I was used to being in control and being in charge, and the loss of that power chafed. Also, that bitch in my chamber waiting for Saphir. I wanted her gone for obvious reasons; she was annoying and had no right to kick me out of my own chambers. If I wasn't so conscientious of what I would cause with a fight, I'd kick her ass and literally throw her ass out.

And down the hall I finally saw Saphir for the first time since I had been taken; he was walking with the same dragon that was angry with me before. They were trailed by two human servants, each waiting for any order the dragons could possibly have, and I just sighed. This place was way too decadent for me. Give me the forest any day. And as Saphir came to stop in front of me, I looked at his shoes, no matter how much I wanted to glare at him.

"Human, what are you doing outside of your chambers?" The comment made me bristle, and by the chuckle from Dalriada, he could smell my anger.

"Well-" I began, but caught my sarcastic comment before it got me into trouble. "There seems to be some…confusion…for my sleeping arrangements. I…respectfully request…to be placed elsewhere since you will already be serviced for the night." Now Dalriada exploded into full blown laughter and I changed a questioning look up at them. Was my request so out of place?

"Your wench thinks lowly of her station," Dalriada stated, his grin wide.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" Saphir held up a hand to still anything I was about to say.

"You should have kicked her ass out," Dalriada stated. "You preside over her, no matter what she says." Calmly, I set the bowl down and stood slowly.

"I can get her out of the room? In any way, shape, or form?" Verbal confirmation was what I needed, because that bitch was going down. How dare she try to put me outside like some dog who had displeased his master. Oh, this would be the moment I would savor; watching her get her ass beat by me would amuse me for a long time to come.

"That wench won't leave quietly," Dalriada agreed. I watched his face, looking for a lie, then turned to Saphir, my anger smoldering.

"Get her out in any way you can," he agreed. "You must establish your station as my personal pet." I grinned evilly at him.

"Ignore the screams," I said darkly, then entered the room. The bitch was waiting on the bed, wearing nearly nothing, and I pointed at the door. "Get the hell out of my room, you lying bitch." She quirked an eyebrow at my display, which made me even angrier. This was my room, my master for all it was worth, and the spot on the floor was mine. Her ass was going outside.

"I believe I told you Saphir requests me when I come to this nest." Now armed with knowledge, I struck back.

"But not this time. He didn't request you because he's got me to take care of him. Now you have about five seconds to dress before I throw your ass out." And I wanted her to say no. Gods, let her say no.

"I'm not leaving."

_Score._

"Suit yourself."

I made my way over to her and grabbed her arm, yanking her to her feet. She stumbled forward, not expecting the attack, but quickly recovered and fisted a hand in my hair. Immune to hair pulling, I simply threw a fist into her stomach, grinning when she crumpled. However, she came up swinging, her hands slapping me to get me away from her.

"You had your chance," I said sweetly before I blocked a slap and kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying toward the door. She slammed against it and I roughly picked her up from the floor, opened the door, and threw her outside, where she landed at Dalriada's feet.

"There," I said, smiling at Saphir. "Your meal is ready," I said sweetly. Saphir to glanced at me, his look telling me to behave, but I knelt and picked up my bedroll and followed him inside. I deposited them beside my bag and blinked as Dalriada entered the room and closed the door behind him.

"Your pet is spirited. She is not broken yet?"

"No. She will not be broken."

"Good. I like her spirit." Now I was really surprised and turned to Saphir.

"But, Saphir?" I saw him glance at me as he sat down to eat, telling me to continue. "I was told I should shut my mouth and be submissive."

"Like you could manage that," he scoffed between bites. I opened my mouth to argue, thought about it, then shut my mouth, knowing he was right.

"Where did you learn that?" Dalriada asked, plopping down in a chair and watching me.

"Learn what?"

"How to fight."

"You have to learn it to survive in the wilderness. My father taught me most of what I know."

"Where is he?" Dalriada asked.

"Dead in a dragon raid." He made a noise of acceptance and continued to study me.

"And you have killed dragons?"

"Yes."

"How many?" he continued.

"Enough." At his look, I sighed. "Twenty-three." He nodded and looked toward Saphir.

"She has killed enough dragons to be of use to you. They would never expect a human to be a threat." I wanted to ask what he was talking about, but Dalriada rose. "Let me play with your pet, Saphir. She looks to be delightful." I looked toward Saphir in disbelief, and he just nodded.

"Do what you wish," Saphir said in dismissal, wholly intent on his food.

I saw Dalriada move from the corner of my eyes, and I was already in a defensive stance before the dragon's punch had even come close. I deflected and managed to punch him in the chest. His right hand hooked toward me and I ducked, spinning and sweeping his legs out from under him. Dalriada fell, his face surprised, and I flipped away to land in another defensive stance. Saphir began laughing and the sound startled me. Sure, I'd heard him laugh, but never with this much gusto and mirth.

"Pathetic human, is she?" Saphir asked between gasps of laughter. "I would never choose ordinary."

"True. She did surprise me. She is well trained for a human." Now Dalriada, fully prepared, launched himself at me. It was a flurry of punches, kicks, and blocks from both of us, and each managed to land a few hits on the other. However, it was destined for me to lose, since I didn't have the stamina or fortitude of a pureblood dragon, so we finally pulled away when a punch to my jaw rocked my world.

"Enough," Dalriada said, knowing by this point I was beaten. "You are highly trained, human, and would make a good pet for Saphir. I accept your petition, Saphir, and will allow sanctuary when you have slain Enveri."

"He shouldn't have come after me."

"No, he shouldn't. He should have known better." I swapped gazes between both dragons as I rubbed my aching jaw. Dalriada walked over and placed a hand on my aching jaw, smirking at my wary glance. "I'm done playing, pet." So I dropped my hand and let him begin to heal me, his eyes never leaving my own. As I held his gaze, comprehension finally dawned about the heated looks he was giving me. His gaze was sensual, his grin contemplative, and I blushed and finally looked away.

"Be nice to my pet," Saphir broke in, his voice amused. "I doubt she's known a man before. If she has, she has no scent on her."

"Truly? Your pet's innocent? When will you take her?" Suddenly very interested in the conversation, I held my breath for Saphir's answer. He continued to chew like the question wasn't hanging around us, then finally harrumphed.

"Whenever I need to be serviced. Why have a pet when I'm here at the nest?" Dalriada grinned toothily.

"Let me take your pet off your hands for the night." Oh my god, let me die here and now. No way I wanted to hear this conversation, and I agreed to none of this when I became his pet. I should've made him draw up a contract with all these little tidbits, because even if it was normal to him, it sure as hell wasn't normal to me.

"Human?" Saphir questioned, his gaze unfathomable.

Well damn. This was what the phrase 'stuck between a rock and a hard place' meant. I was damned if I said yes and damned if I said no. What if Saphir was expecting me to say no so I could be only his? Dragons were possessive of their mates, even to the point of jealousy, so would it spread to encompass a pet? And what if I said yes? I had no want to be…claimed, or taken, or whatever they called it. They were my _enemy_. I _killed_ their kind. Why would I become romantically intimate with one voluntarily?

"She's a new pet. One day, in fact. She's terrified of you." I opened my mouth to speak, but shut it. Let them think I was afraid of the dragon itself instead of nighttime pleasures. Even though it stung my pride it would serve my purposes for the moment.

"Most new pets are. I'd take good care of you….what is your name, pet?" Now I looked at him surprised.

"Jessi." My voice was quiet but strong, thankfully. I didn't want to appear too weak.

"Come back with me, Jessi." It was odd hearing my name on the lips of a dragon and I didn't say no because of the sheer oddity of hearing it. I was so used to being called human or pet that it didn't register that a dragon would care to even learn my name.

"Leave her alone," Saphir chided. "Take the wench outside." Dalriada laughed and shot a toothy grin at Saphir.

"That's a good idea. The wench will still be spitting mad from Jessi. I can turn that to my advantage." He all but stalked out of the room, and I saw his nose twitch as he opened the door. Of course the wench wasn't out there, but he could always follow her scent, which seemed to be what he was going to do.

"Have you eaten?" Saphir asked as the door shut behind the other dragon. I stood and nodded, but by god, his food looked so delicious. I was used to meat and the occasional berries, not all of these fruits spread out around him. "What? Never seen fruit before?" I wanted to say yes, but I shook my head no. "Hmph. I guess you wouldn't living here." He reached into a bowl and threw me a green thing. I caught it and eyed it.

"It looks like a grape. But it isn't red."

"Different type of grape," Saphir answered. Under his gaze, I nibbled the edge and puckered.

"Lord, that's sour!" Saphir grinned at my distress. "Now it's sweet." Now that I was used to the taste, I could taste the sweet undertones. What an odd grape.

"Here." Now he held out something and I walked over to him, taking it from his hands. I bit the outside curiously, then stuck out my tongue.

"Ew!" I cried out.

"Stupid human, you take off the skin." Saphir took it back and with a flick of his wrist, broke off the top part of the fruit. He continued to drag it down, doing the same with the other parts of the skin, and it revealed a white thing underneath the skin. I took it back and took an experimental lick.

"It's squishy."

"Eat the banana," he commanded. I took a nibble and brightened.

"It's good! I like it." He waved his hand so I bounded to the bed and ate my food silently, enjoying the taste.

"Human, you will be protected here. Sleep for now, because tomorrow, we will hunt." I gulped down the banana and nodded seriously.

"I understand." It was what I was here for and what I could make my use doing. If it kept Julie safe from Saphir's wrath, I could deal with this.

"Then sleep human." I put the skin back on the table and went to curl up on the sleeping bag on the side of the bed. However, Saphir stopped me with a hand. "Not there. I don't want you to smell like her." I hesitated but nodded, secretly wanting to sleep in the comfy looking bed. So when I slipped under the soft covers, I burrowed into the pillow and marveled at how soft and squishy it felt compared to a hard ground.

"I want one of these," I murmured, already falling into a deep slumber.

"If you can carry one, human," Saphir replied as he began to eat once again, allowing me to fall back to sleep.


End file.
